NationStates Jolt Archive

Without meaning to offend,IS there a link between Education and Political Views? I would like to point out i do know some intelligent Rights. Just way more Intelligent lefts. I would like to know your opinion.

Without meaning to offend,IS there a link between Education and Political Views? I would like to point out i do know some intelligent Rights. Just way more Intelligent lefts. I would like to know your opinion.

Why, of course. The more you learn, the better you understand things. The better you understand things, the more center you get.

btw, those lefts you refer to are actually center.

ps. dunno who would take offense.:confused:

Without meaning to offend,IS there a link between Education and Political Views? I would like to point out i do know some intelligent Rights. Just way more Intelligent lefts. I would like to know your opinion.

If by intelligent you mean professors, they are having a difficult time right now because college students are getting more conservative.

I believe it is more the parents that decide political views than education.

Sure there is a link...but it's not one that will tell you a person will swing one way or the other. There are well-educated people on all points along the spectrum. And I dispute the claim made earlier that centrism is inevitable the more you learn. I get more friggin' left every second of every day:)

Just a point... intelligence != education necessarily.

In all the polls I've read around election time, those with more education tend to vote more liberal than those with less education. Though that could have something to do with the urban/rural divide, more people with higher degrees will live in cities than in the countryside and people in urban environments tend to vote liberal or ndp while those in rural areas tend to vote conservative.

Sure there is a link...but it's not one that will tell you a person will swing one way or the other. There are well-educated people on all points along the spectrum. And I dispute the claim made earlier that centrism is inevitable the more you learn. I get more friggin' left every second of every day:)

US left is Europes' Center. (don't know about Canada) You're approaching the center...oh well, what do I know...it is, after all, your left you're speaking of...

Without meaning to offend,IS there a link between Education and Political Views? I would like to point out i do know some intelligent Rights. Just way more Intelligent lefts. I would like to know your opinion.
I don't think that educated people gravitate more in either direction. If you were all that educated you would know that education level =/= intelligence!

If by intelligent you mean professors, they are having a difficult time right now because college students are getting more conservative.
Maybe in your country... but then your entire country is getting more conservative, it's kinda scary from over here.

I believe it is more the parents that decide political views than education.
My parents are the complete political opposites of me...

If you were all that educated you would know that education level =/= intelligence!

education level tends to up intelligence

US left is Europes' Center. (don't know about Canada) You're approaching the center...oh well, what do I know...it is, after all, your left you're speaking of...
US left is Canadian centre as well. Perhaps a little more right, but they have to be in order to even stand a shot in hell of getting elected.

Maybe in your country... but then your entire country is getting more conservative, it's kinda scary from over here.

Meh, doesn't bother me that the rest of the world doesn't like it. However, I'm guessing a decade or two things will go back to the otherside.

My parents are the complete political opposites of me...

There are, of course, exceptions to everything.

education level tends to up intelligence
Depends on the standards you're measuring intelligence by. If I'm not mistaken, it doesn't change things like IQ. One can also obtain an education outside of an academic environment.

education level tends to up intelligence

Come to America and say that. The teachers are afraid to give kids an F because it'll hurt the kids self-Esteem :rolleyes:

US left is Europes' Center. (don't know about Canada) You're approaching the center...oh well, what do I know...it is, after all, your left you're speaking of...
Our Liberals are really conservatives. I'm not a Liberal. I'm definately left of center.

education level tends to up intelligence
Not always. Sometimes education can bring out and nurture intelligence that is already there; in less successful cases education can crush forms of intelligence that don't fit its agenda.

Meh, doesn't bother me that the rest of the world doesn't like it. However, I'm guessing a decade or two things will go back to the otherside.
American politics change very little... most of the "right-left" pendulum rot is just hyperbole.

Come to America and say that. The teachers are afraid to give kids an F because it'll hurt the kids self-Esteem :rolleyes:
Or because you have insane parents who sue schools for failing their precious children. :rolleyes:

Perhaps you should institute a grading system like we had for elementary school, you didnt' get F's you got "Experiencing Difficulty" and if you got enough of those you were held back.

Our Liberals are really conservatives. I'm not a Liberal. I'm definately left of center.
Liberals are centrist here.

libertarians are most intelligent!

Or because you have insane parents who sue schools for failing their precious children. :rolleyes:

Perhaps you should institute a grading system like we had for elementary school, you didnt' get F's you got "Experiencing Difficulty" and if you got enough of those you were held back.

Don't get me started on Political Correctness Dakini. I'm getting to much of it here in the USA and its making me sick.

Good news is, the people are starting to fight back.

As to your first statement, ya somewhat accurate.

Come to America and say that. The teachers are afraid to give kids an F because it'll hurt the kids self-Esteem :rolleyes:
Hmmm...

Maybe me shuld go back school.

There is a trend that the more educated you become, the more likely you are to move toward a left leaning platform. This trend, from what I understand, is significant, but not major.

There is also a trend that the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to seek higher education. This trend is both significant and major.

However, even when you put these together, there is still no significant correlation between intelligence and left-leaning tendancies.

I think I'll be content with saying that the psycho-sociological link between education and political views is part of mapping out the mind, a thing which we will not be able to figure out in less than at least a hundred years from now on except for in the form of unreliable empirical data.

Liberals are centrist here.
Hmmm...I suppose you could say that...I see them as more conservative than centrist or liberal...but in any case...I'm definately left of them:)

Don't get me started on Political Correctness Dakini. I'm getting to much of it here in the USA and its making me sick.

Good news is, the people are starting to fight back.

As to your first statement, ya somewhat accurate.
Well, I don't think that that's a matter of political correctness, it's that parents are too overprotective of their children for one thing and that they like to blame the failures of their children on the schools while they sit there and bitch for tax cuts which take money out of the school system and then they let the kids be babysat by a television set the rest of the time, virtually ignoring them. A big part of education starts at home, I was taught to read and write before I set foot in a classroom (though my ability to do either was rather primitive) and parents now seem to expect to be able to put no effort into looking after their offspring and getting perfect little angels in the process.

Changing the grading system in elementary schools to "Excellent" "Good" "Satisfactory" and "Experiencing Difficulty" still allows children to be graded in a way that's a little more gentle than saying "You failed" and should the child geuninely need to stay back a grade then they can be left back. (It's not a matter of intelligence necessarily at that stage, there's a lot of maturity and growing into social situations early on)

Edit: Oh and also, some sort of legislation against stupid lawsuits would be good too. As funny as it is from up here, it's rediculous and doesn't seem to let anyone do their damn jobs.

REGARDING POLL. DONT BANDWAGON!!!! If you are unsure, either think about it or dont vote. Bandwagoners annoy me

Hmmm...I suppose you could say that...I see them as more conservative than centrist or liberal...but in any case...I'm definately left of them:)
Me too, but they're still pretty centrist. With Martin they're kinda fiscally conservative (though due to the minority government, not so much) but socially liberal (in case you didn't notice the gay marriage legislation deal...).

There is also a trend that the more intelligent you are, the more likely you are to seek higher education. This trend is both significant and major.

I really do take exception to this comment. Almost all availible evidence shows that educational ambition is more a result of upbringing and social class than intelligence. Which is why many trolls go to university because they are rich, while many intelligent working-class people do not because they lack the resources or ambition to do so.

Besides, who says that people with degrees overwhelmingly lean to the left? The ranks of right-wing parties are not lacking in degrees.

Besides, who says that people with degrees overwhelmingly lean to the left? The ranks of right-wing parties are not lacking in degrees.
Next time there's an election and they break down the education levels of the voters and who they plan on voting for, you'll notice that the people with higher levels of education tend to vote for the more liberal parties as compared to the rest of the population. That's how it goes in Canada and the US at any rate.

libertarians are most intelligent!

BHAHAHAHAH!


Thats a good one

I think there is a very strong correlation however between education and polictical views even though I voted both, but no causation.

There is, if I recall correctly, little correlation between level of education and political ideology in the US. Our congress is an interesting (though skewed) example: almost everone in either house has a graduate-level education (mainly law) and they are split 50-50 as far as ideology goes.

As for parents, there is a strong correlation that we can draw conclusions from. However, the data is affected by one simple variable: the relationship between the child and the parent. In fact, my research methods in political science course is crunching the numbers on this as we speak. If you're really interested, or just a stats geek, I might be inclined to forward the data to you.

What we all forget, unfortunately, is that ideology is shaped not by a single linear left-right model, but a mutli-dimensional model that measures two ranges: an economic ideology scale, and a social ideology scale. You can take an excellent on-line quiz to place you on the grid here (http://www.politicalcompass.org).

You think what you are taught. :)

You dont think what you are taught silly.
For instance i remember being taught that smoking is a civil right.
And straight away thinking No. it isnt. :)

You accept what you are told, until you develop enough to become self aware. Then you may continue to accept what you have been told, or you may reject what you have been told.

The fundamentals of human development. Unfortunately, they aren't as encouraged as they should be. So many of my generation are scared as hell about making their own decisions or analyzing and crafting an opinion on their own.

Next time there's an election and they break down the education levels of the voters and who they plan on voting for, you'll notice that the people with higher levels of education tend to vote for the more liberal parties as compared to the rest of the population. That's how it goes in Canada and the US at any rate.
Actually, for the 2004 election, the opposite was proven true. I can't recall who posted it, but someone did post a breakdown of voting by education level.

The results were along the lines that conservatives had the ends of the spectrum while liberals had the middle: didn't finish highschool to masters degrees spectrum.

to really be on the 'left' you need to have your own set of principles, and want to stick to them. in this way, many of the people on the left are there by choice - they've conciously made a decision to be there (especially in today's seemingly neocon/anti-socialism environment) - and hence i don't know it that correlates to education or intelligence, but i would expect it to correlate to the amount you think about or consider your political views.
this may be reinforced in that much leftist thinking is subjective and often fairly irrational (a lot of it relies on compassion or other emotion), and hence if you find yourself on the left you're going to have to - or be made to - question your own views a fair bit more than apolitical centrists or defacto right-wingers.


i mean most of the rightists i know as friends tend to be there just because, or because their parents were that way, or they give their stance only the briefest of political critiques. on further inspection, they soon crumble... like how i've managed to convert a die-hard tory into a lib dem voter over the last year :D


of course, being left i could be very biased in this matter, but whatever

Next time there's an election and they break down the education levels of the voters and who they plan on voting for, you'll notice that the people with higher levels of education tend to vote for the more liberal parties as compared to the rest of the population. That's how it goes in Canada and the US at any rate.
What do you mean by liberal? I live in Ireland and all I know is that here, the working class districts tend to vote significantly to the left of the more affluent districts whose residents have more degrees.

What we all forget, unfortunately, is that ideology is shaped not by a single linear left-right model, but a mutli-dimensional model that measures two ranges: an economic ideology scale, and a social ideology scale. You can take an excellent on-line quiz to place you on the grid here (http://www.politicalcompass.org).
Oldest link ever!


this may be reinforced in that much leftist thinking is subjective and often fairly irrational (a lot of it relies on compassion or other emotion), and hence if you find yourself on the left you're going to have to - or be made to - question your own views a fair bit more than apolitical centrists or defacto right-wingers.
Speak for yourself. I hold political positions that are decidedly left-wing, yet I almost never depend on emotion to back them up.

I am fairly sure that many right-winger people have arriaved at their views by thinking about them also!

I really do take exception to this comment. Almost all availible evidence shows that educational ambition is more a result of upbringing and social class than intelligence. Which is why many trolls go to university because they are rich, while many intelligent working-class people do not because they lack the resources or ambition to do so.

Besides, who says that people with degrees overwhelmingly lean to the left? The ranks of right-wing parties are not lacking in degrees.

You're confusing educational attainment with educational ambition.

Put it this way, I'm right wing and probably a lot more intelligent than most left wingers.

It really depends. There are a number of very well educated, brilliant people on both sides, but I think when you look at higher education institutions, the people there will tend to be leaning to the left. So, are all educated/smart people liberal? Nope, but a lot of them are.

Put it this way, I'm right wing and probably a lot more intelligent than most left wingers.
:rolleyes:
Please refrain from talking out of your backside. You have no way of backing this up...and frankly, it makes you seem petty.

I am fairly sure that many right-winger people have arriaved at their views by thinking about them also!
but of course. what i was trying to say is that to be a leftie you pretty much have to make a concious decision to become - or stay - left. however, in my experience, you can be right wing without having thought about it, and many appear to be (but often it appears to me its those non-thinking 'defacto' righties that are particularly apathetic, so that makes it ok :P )

You're confusing educational attainment with educational ambition.
No, I'm not. Working class people tend to hold lower educational ambitions than they could achieve, due to exhaustive reasons involving cultural capital, class values and educational bias. Even less intelligent richer people hold higher ambitions because they often see it as part of some sort of divine order that they should go to university.

It really depends. There are a number of very well educated, brilliant people on both sides, but I think when you look at higher education institutions, the people there will tend to be leaning to the left. So, are all educated/smart people liberal? Nope, but a lot of them are.
Remember that educational institutions are not the only part of society where educated and intelligent people are to be found. The employing classes of the business world tend to be educated, and right-wing.

Well I say it depends on the type of education you get as well...

A bit more than two years ago, when I left High School, I was a rabid leftist.
Two years before that I was a almost a Maoist - and I'm not kidding.

And now, after two years of Economics at University I'm a Pragmatist (at least as far as Economics is concerned).

But as far as other political areas are concerned, I think this forum demonstrates quite well that our attitude is formed exogenously and education merely makes us more adept at arguing that attitude.

but of course. what i was trying to say is that to be a leftie you pretty much have to make a concious decision to become - or stay - left. however, in my experience, you can be right wing without having thought about it, and many appear to be (but often it appears to me its those non-thinking 'defacto' righties that are particularly apathetic, so that makes it ok :P )
You can also be left-wing without thinking about it. I've met plenty of people of whom I am embarrassed that I share their views.

To be a far leftist and stick to your principles, that requires thought and action, but that's true for all the fringes of the spectrum.

In fact if I had to pick out a political group on NS which has the highest proportion of intelligent, principled posters, I would say it is the American Libertarians, which explains their larger than life presence!

:rolleyes:
Please refrain from talking out of your backside. You have no way of backing this up...and frankly, it makes you seem petty.
To be fair, he is petty so it doesn't really matter.

Actually, for the 2004 election, the opposite was proven true. I can't recall who posted it, but someone did post a breakdown of voting by education level.

The results were along the lines that conservatives had the ends of the spectrum while liberals had the middle: didn't finish highschool to masters degrees spectrum.
Education level is a poor test for IQ especially in a country where degrees can be obtained much more easily if your parents have the dough to buy it for you.
This site works it out using SAT scores. A much better indicator of intellegence (still not great in my opinion but better then education level.)
http://sq.4mg.com/stateIQ-income.htm
It lists state average "IQ's" from 105 to 94 (these are the limits of what is considered an average IQ) as you can see there is by no means a rule that says more intellegent vote further left, but there is a trend for more intellegent people no to vote republican.