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Sam Stein

The Huffington Post

Ivy League Faculty Giving Democratic, More Heavily Than Ever

November 12, 2007 09:21 PM


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Professors and administrators at the nation's top colleges are supporting Democratic candidates during the 2008 campaign at a rate higher than the historic averages.

More than 86 percent of Ivy League teachers and employees who have donated to presidential campaigns have given to a Democrat , according to an analysis of campaign finance reports. That percentage -- which does not include those who work in affiliated hospitals -- is more than 10 points higher than the education industry as a whole.

Of the roughly $470,000 donated by these Ivy League higher ups, approximately $205,000 has been given to Sen. Barack Obama, D-IL, and $147,000 to Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY. The top Republican recipient was former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, who received approximately $33,000 in Ivy League largesse.

"I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that professors are more liberal than most," Massie Ritsch,, communications director for the Center for Responsive Politics, told the Huffington Post. "This industry is as Democratic as the oil industry is Republican and I don't think the split in either end would surprise anyone. With professors, however, we assume that these are more ideologically driven than economic."

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the education industry has become increasingly Democratic over the past twenty years. Whereas in 1990, 57 percent of the industry's donations - including Political Action Committee dollars - went to Democratic candidates, by 2006 that number had increased to 71 percent. The amount of money in play is also on the rise. In 1996 the total amount of contributions from academia was more than $8.8 million. By 2000, that had doubled and in 2004 it doubled again to more than $36 million.

In the current political atmosphere, some Ivy League institutions are leaning more left than others. Of the 11 donations made by teachers and employees of Brown University, only one went to a Republican candidate (Rudy Giuliani). The University of Pennsylvania appears to have the most balanced Ivy League faculty. Thirty-nine of the donations from that institution of higher learning went to Democratic candidates, 15 to Republicans.

Whether or not these donations have a bearing on the teacher's classroom decorum is a classic and long-standing political debate.

"I don't know how much this ideological persuasion translates into intellectual bias," said Ritsch. "I don't think these professors are skewing their teaching because they want to see a particular candidate in the White House. If this were the case we wouldn't have as many conservative college students as we do."

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The Bush-ites and most Republicans now are anti-information, they want to base everything on belief. It's a faith-based view of the world: "I believe therefore it is" Most Ivy professors on the other hand, need to continually base their work on information and knowing things; they know that the Republicans have become over the last 25 years the enemies of judgment based upon information. So they are siding with the party that at least, we hope, puts a higher premium on openness to the world of information and facts.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:38 PM on 11/13/2007

The real story is not what professors give. It's a pittance compared to what AIPAC gives mainly to Hillary. Why do you think she can't stop triangulating about her votes on Iran and Iraq? Why do you think she won't commit to stopping the war? Because Middle Eastern dominance is what Israel and the Jews want, and they contribute roughly 60% of the campaign financing Democrats receive. Hillary receives much more than 60% from AIPAC-related donations, Edwards much, MUCH less.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:27 PM on 11/13/2007
- rroy I'm a Fan of rroy permalink

Getting back to William Buckley,he is indeed a bright man!I used to play tennis with a guy very much like him,he too was a devoted fan of the harpsichord.He also had a Doctorate in the clasics(whatever that means)and taught at a local colllege.
I would describe them both as someone once described Col. Burty McCormack,the long time managing editor of the Chicago Tribune,during it's editorial policies of ultra Consrvatism;"three of the greatest minds of the eighteenth century".
I never could understand how someone who is against the policies of Neocons,Ultra Conservatives,or whatever you want to call these benighted idiots,is often labeled"leftist".My mind always asks ,"left of what?"How can using good basic common sense be labeled anything other than just what it is, Good Basic Common Sense?!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:38 PM on 11/13/2007

If Ivy League Profs are soo liberal, why doesn't it translate to the grads coming out of these schools?

The people cutting our economic and political throat are largely grads of these schools. Dubya is a grad of 2 of these institutions.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:20 AM on 11/13/2007

Giving to the Democrats by Ivy League professors is ass-covering.

Sure the current pack of rabid, reactionary Republican curs has threatened academic freedom, but the Ivy League universities are all beholden to federal grants, especially Pentagon-funded research programs. MIT and Harvard are so tied in with the military-industrial complex that both institutions are counted among Massachusetts' top defense contrators!

And since the current (mis)administration has so thoroughly mismanaged everything it has touched, from the Iraq occupation to the economy, smart money is on Hillary to pull the national fat out of the fire.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:05 AM on 11/13/2007

The professors don't want to end up teaching creationism and flat earth Republican history.
Thye want to teach the truth, that we invaded Vietnam, not that we went to the rescue of Vietnam.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:58 AM on 11/13/2007
- Rand I'm a Fan of Rand permalink

I don't think it purely coincidental that the higher one's educational degree, the higher one's score on reading and math tests and the higher one's IQ, the more likely it is to be on the political left

While there are certainly notable exceptions to this (The name William F. Buckley, Jr. springs readily to mind), every study of such has had roughly the same result

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:36 AM on 11/13/2007
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"With professors, however, we assume that these are more ideologically driven than economic."

and that is the difference between the left and the right. The left wants a fair deal for all, an ideal. The right wants to get rich quick (at anyone's expense) and assumes that the left is foolish.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 08:55 AM on 11/13/2007
- loki I'm a Fan of loki permalink
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Just curious, and Id like to see someone do a story on this. We know that legally the government and journalist , and illegally identity thieves and hackers can find out all personal banking, investment and personal information. I mean, it was even easy enough for journalist to find out what was being traded in the Blind Trust of Senator Frist, right? What I would like to know is what percentage of personal investments does President Bush have Off Shore? It would really interesting. Hell, do it for each and every candidate as well. After all, I think its important to know if they really believe in the US economy as much as they tout it. Dont you??

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:05 AM on 11/13/2007
- loki I'm a Fan of loki permalink
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Hell ya they will. They are not dumb. They can see that Demorats are very easy to buy. So put your money where it will do the most good.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:28 AM on 11/13/2007

leave stanford out of that mix as they love warmongers like rummy and condi.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 01:28 AM on 11/13/2007

This always baffled me. I'd be curious what the data are for Computer Science academia. Because I tell you what, there has never been a more conservative and/or libertarian bunch of people as CS Professors.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:59 AM on 11/13/2007

"I don't know how much this ideological persuasion translates into intellectual bias," said Ristch. "I don't think these professors are skewing their teaching because they want to see a particular candidate in the White House. If this were the case we wouldn't have as many conservative college students as we do." Liberal denial. They just aren't as persuasive as they like to think. No one is more intolerqant than a liberal professor.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:16 AM on 11/13/2007

The Republican Party has become singularly anti-intellectual and anti-science to the point of seemingly unbelievably stupid and backward. Anybody in their right minds, including moderate Republican academics, would shift their money to Democrats in this ideological climate. Did I ever think we would have to re-fight the battles won during the Enlightenment? The last seven years is proof that Progress is not inevitable.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:15 AM on 11/13/2007

Who cares what the Ivy League Admin. think and support? I think they represent the wealthy and corporate interests and always have.

I've voted demo since 1972, but am troubled by the demo's allegience to corporate interests. Well, what else is new.

If the repubs and demos support corporate interests it means no one is supporting the interests of 95% of the American people -oening the door for a nut-case like ron paul to make some headway.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:59 PM on 11/12/2007
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