OPINION & EDITORIAL
Conservatism growing on college campuses
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Also by Nicole Marklein:
- College Repulicans: Vote for four more years (November 2, 2004)
- Legislators: Override Doyle on conceal and carry (January 22, 2004)
- What is 'African American?' (January 29, 2004)
- Cultural differences run deep (February 4, 2004)
- A seasonal paradox (December 10, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Professors not responsible for liberal leanings (February 6, 2002)
- Letters to the Editor - 1/30 (January 30, 2002)
- Conservative voice needs recognition (November 9, 2007)
- Republicans must find conservatism (March 7, 2007)
- It's not easy being GOP at Wisconsin (September 14, 2006)
by Nicole Marklein
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
At long last: liberals and conservatives achieving something together. While going about it in two entirely different manners, conservatives and liberals alike are working to nurture conservatism on college campuses nationwide.
Most people agree that universities are notoriously liberal. However, there are many campuses with such left-wing political cultures that they actually may be hurting their cause. Students who once thought that they were liberal before coming to school find themselves appearing to be rather conservative in comparison to the other so-called liberals on campus.
As one of my left-of-left friends said, “I consider myself pretty damn liberal, but the people on this campus are just fanatical.”
And so the backlash ensues.
When moderate liberals come to campus, it may be hard for them to identify with supposedly like-minded classmates who have become extreme in their liberal views. It makes finding a niche in the campus political culture more difficult for these students. If they can’t identify with other liberals, whom can they identify with? As a result, these students may begin to gravitate toward more conservative groups, sometimes even outright Republican organizations.
However, these conservative groups have gone through a notable image transformation.
College Republicans are no longer the loafer-wearing fraternity jerks that they were once stereotyped to be. And, speaking for myself, I don’t own a single string of pearls.
More interestingly, campus conservatives have, overall, become more moderate. Almost any of these students would bristle at the stigmas of racism and homophobia that many liberals use to describe them. Their role models have changed from such extreme right wingers as Pat Buchanan to the more moderate conservatives like Dinesh D’Souza. In fact, this is one aspect that greatly attributes to the growth of groups like College Republicans, Young Americans for Freedom and Young Republican Professionals.
Members of these groups, united in their opposition to the extreme liberals on their campuses, can be found on the entire conservative spectrum. Significantly, such clubs now include a strong delegation of women and pull most of their intense conservative support from the working class.
For this reason, college conservatism is making a big appearance across the nation, even at such liberal strongholds as Berkeley and our own alma mater. The conservative voice is starting to be heard ever more loudly as students start their own conservative newspapers and organize rallies and demonstrations on campuses.
For instance, the conservative voice on the liberal campus of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania has gone from being non-existent to being heard loud and clear every day in the school’s conservative paper, The Counterweight. What remains most important is attracting students that are willing to put the time and effort into getting their voice to be heard on campus, and an overwhelming number of students are saying that they are ready for the challenge.
Take, for instance, our own UW-Madison College Republicans, which has consistently drawn 90-plus students to its meetings this year. One just doesn’t see that happening in political clubs of other ideologies here. Likewise, the Berkeley College Republicans are enjoying a membership of 500 students.
However, this increase in conservatism doesn’t mean that students are necessarily calling themselves right wing or Republican. While college students are keeping a “liberal” or “Democrat” label, conservative ideas and policies are becoming increasingly popular among them. Many students’ views on issues like taxes and affirmative action give them a more conservative identity. The fight for campus conservatives is not in convincing their peers to share their ideology, but rather to help them realize the fact that they already personify it.
No matter how you feel about it, the fact is that conservatism is growing and becoming much more visible on campuses nationwide. So, yes, you will still hear conservatives grumbling about the liberal universities that they attend. However, you are more likely to also see these students working hard to demonstrate that there are, believe it or not, two sides to campus political culture.
Nicole Marklein (nmmarklein@wisc.edu) is a junior majoring in political science.
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