Do college-educated become liberals or conservatives?
Monday, March 08, 2010
In politics, do Americans follow their internal moral compass, or are they highly influenced by academics and popular culture?
Those questions are prompted by a recent Intercollegiate Studies Institute survey titled “The Shaping of the American Mind.” The report says college graduates likely favor same-sex marriage and abortion on demand, and are less likely to favor prayer in public schools or believe the Bible is the word of God.
While those findings won’t surprise anyone attuned to the nation’s political trends, the reason “why” does say a lot about independent thinking in American culture.
The ISI’s survey of 2,508 U.S. adults shows that graduating from college “does not significantly impact a person’s views on economic issues,” nor does it significantly influence a person’s “civic knowledge” — their understanding of American history, government or foreign affairs.
But it does conclude that a college degree tends to result in a more liberal political outlook. Greater “civic knowledge,” however, tends to result in a more conservative political stance and influences thinking on several hot-button topics.
Does your experience fall in line with these findings?
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