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Why Most Academics Tilt Left
- chillacy 8y agoWhy do people who live in low population areas skew conservative? It turns out being an hour away from the nearest police patrol and being far from other people tends to encourage seeking personal freedom, less government (after all you never see them), gun ownership, etc. So if I say that we need more diversity of political beliefs in rural areas... but that seems impossible given that these are rational beliefs for the given circumstances. As the author alludes, likewise for academics.
- krapp 8y ago>It turns out being an hour away from the nearest police patrol and being far from other people tends to encourage seeking personal freedom, less government (after all you never see them), gun ownership, etc. Police response can be low and gun ownership high in urban areas as well. The reason people in low population areas skew conservative is more likely that conservatives in those areas have successfully branded themselves as the party of Christianity and the sole defenders of traditional American cultural values (particularly gun ownership), and their opponents as the antithesis of all. And, ironically (given the gist of your comment), those values tend to include supporting the police and the government more so than their urban counterparts. They don't want freedom from government so much as freedom from atheists, liberals and Democrats in government.
- dashmatte 8y agoWhich is why the fact that our system for electing officials over represents them is stalling progress in this country. Also their way of life ineffecient and a drag on the rest on their state and nationwide.