How come the farther from a college people are, the more likely they are to be Republicans?

Question

Look at the county-by-county map for the 2004 presidential elections:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/countymap.htm

The further a place is from a university, the redder it is. Is there a correlation between education and voting Democrat?

Answer 1

There is and there isn't (I'm giving you a serious answer as a social scientist).

If you are talking about the "mainstream" of the Republican party, thre is only a weak correlation-. But, at the fringes of the Republican Party--the "neo-cons" or right wing--tend to be rural--and lack education. Granted, many people lacking education are also in urbanareas. But there the division is along race/ethnic lines. Minorities among the non-college educated tend to vote Democrat, while blue collar whites tend to vote republican, even in urban areas--and also tend to be among the right'wing of the GOP. Very few people with college educations, rural or urban, are among the more extreme groups within the GOP--that's where the correlation you noticed comes from.

That's a long answer--but I wanted to make sure that the distinction among those groups within the GzOP was clear.

Answer 2

Congratulations for dumbest question of the day.

Do you know how many colleges there are in the United States? Try over 1100, just at the four-year level. Given that 80% of the counties in this country are "red" counties, doncha think that there might be at least 1 college amongst all those counties?

Oh, I forgot, all of the colleges in Texas are in the 12 or 13 counties that voted for Kerry. That must be the Dallas-Fort Worth area down near the Mexican border, because that's where both Southern Methodist and Texas Christian are. Austin must be down there too, and College Station, and Lubbock, and Houston, etc. etc. Oh, and up in Indiana, West Lafayette couldn't be in a red county, could it? There must be an absolute crapload of colleges in the northeastern corner of Minnesota, even though about 12 people live there.

(God, I feel my IQ dropping just having to point this out.)

Answer 3

Just like osmosis, there is a higher concentration of liberals in the college towns. As you diffuse out into "real world" land, common sense and economics take over and the liberals don't exert as much pressure on the people trying to get by. It has nothing to do with education.

When I was working on my Masters degree, I listened to all of the liberal ideas thrown at me and decided that I'm responsible for raising my children to be productive citizens. I am also responsible for my actions and interactions. I can't control others. I'm not responsible for peole who think I'm closed minded because I believe in patriotism, God, and old fashioned values; including common sense. I don't force my political views on my students. I was hired to teach science, I do an excellent job and I take pride in my job. Any of the other indoctrination materials can be taught by someone that belives in that stuff.

Liberal, or Democrat, does not equal educated. Just as Conservative, or Republican, does not equal uneducated. That's just this highly educated conservative's opinion.

Answer 4

That's interesting - I live in a college town that is VERY conservative.

And no, there is not a correlation between education and voting Democrat. I have a quote somewhere from a political science textbook that states just the opposite, in fact - will try to find it.

Answer 5

Yes because the more educated you are, the more you have spent time in theory. College is theory. The real world is reality.

I transfered to a business school after spending 2 summers running a very profitable business. I took an economics class in my 5th year as a senior and it was the lowest grade I got in college. The theory did not apply to anything I had experienced.

Answer 6

That's probably easily answered. You live near the U, you rent. Month to month. Semester to semester (or quarter). Nothing to lose. Democrat works fine.

After paying yer dues, getting that/those degree/s, you have a career and family, you buy. That means living further from the U. Then you have something to lose -- and the lightbulb comes on. Get conservative at the polls.

I recall fun times at the U, lefty profs picking fights with me in class because I didn't toe the line of the BS being pumped into ignorant kids' heads. Each had to score me my 4.0 anyway. I earned it. It was good being an asset to the educational community.

Answer 7

There is a very strong correlation between being in education and being liberal.

Look at the people in the real world, actually working and paying bills. They tend to be Republican.

So what is your point? We have been saying education is liberal, for decades.

Answer 8

There does seem to be that correlation. I don't know why that is, but I think that perhaps the more educated people are; college educated or not, the more likely it is that they will question things or dissent about things (i.e., perhaps by protesting that which they do not agree with, etc.) It seems that there is not a great deal of dissent among those who are republican, perhaps, especially with the current administration, for fear that they will be viewed as unpatriotic. That is the best reasoning I can come up with.

Answer 9

the bigger colleges are usually in larger cities, the people that rely on the govt to take care of them have to stay closer to the hubs to get more from the govt. It has nothing to do with the education of people. actually it may be closer to the exact opposite to what is suggested

Answer 10

Are you not familiar with the pride of knowledge that professors have? It causes them to not be able to see the forest through the trees. Those bumpkins in the midwest breathe more humble air, and are wiser as a result.