Columnist Eden Liu discusses Penn students' relationship with conservatism.
Liberal bastions. That’s how elite universities have been described for many years. And the data shows this too. In the DP’s 2024 Presidential Voter Intentions survey, 79% of Penn students said they would back candidate Kamala Harris.
The argument does not seem entirely convincing. On the surface, Penn doesn’t seem to be a conservative school. Quakers express outrage at Donald Trump, but is every fierce Trump opponent necessarily a liberal? Aren’t the views professed a greater indicator of one’s political leanings? Using that definition, Penn students and alum don’t seem to be completely liberal. The social side seems pretty left-leaning, but many Penn students seem to lean fiscally conservative.
I am not saying Penn is crawling with covert Trump supporters ready to storm College Hall and “reclaim” their school like their brethren from the January 6th insurrection. Not all Trump supporters are Republicans and not all Republicans are conservatives. Yet for all of its past history, Penn just doesn’t seem to be living up to the Marxist reputation it's been assigned.
This phenomenon may be partially attributed to Penn's preprofessional culture. This atmosphere has prompted economics to be one of the most popular majors, and has incentivized Penn students to be more pragmatic when it comes to their ideas about life. Anyone who has taken a Wharton course or introductory economics in the College will be well aware about the sobering effects these classes have on world view. In LGST 1010, students read about the "Tragedy of the Anticommons" and the dangers of overregulation in property law. In ECON 0100, students learn about the damages of rent controls, another common progressive initiative to make housing affordable.
Now before anyone jumps to railing against the conservative indoctrination of elite colleges, none of this content is controversial or misleading. The negative effects of minimum wage, rent controls, and government intervention are logically sound and have historical proof to back it up. Economics education at Penn isn’t meant to convert students to conservatism, but its provision of reality produced the same ideological culture.
Furthermore, background can play a major role in Penn’s conservatism. Penn students are affluent. 41% of students report a household income of over $110,000 (the US median income is just $80,610). A study found that those who have surpassed their parents, i.e. escaped their financial birth circumstances, tended to be more conservative. These people felt the economy was more fair because they were able to “make it.” At Penn, a similar sentiment can be applied to those who grew up in affluent households. Given social closure and increasing rates of marital homogamy, children who grew up in well-off households are surrounded by others who have similar life experiences growing up. This gives credence to the perception that the system is fair and gives reason for these individuals to disregard sociological findings that argue that there is an entrenched system that keeps everyone where they are in society or at the very least give less weight to these arguments. After all, it is very hard to turn your back on your own. Uncle Jeff was such a good person, he couldn't be the one dictating policies that force his delivery drivers to pee in bottles.
Beside an emotional connection, the affluence of Penn’s student body means a great deal of individuals subscribe to the belief that anyone can make it and the individualist culture that it permeates. People watched their parents work hard, and many were also — at least in theory — preached the virtues of hard work (whether or not this is de facto true is irrelevant). Simply the belief is enough to solidify the individualism streak and look unfavorably upon suggestions that one should sacrifice for a greater good. Why should my hard earned tax dollars be spent on welfare? The people on welfare could’ve just worked harder or dabbled in the stock market. It’s not my fault they don’t know how finances work. Privilege breeds implicit individualism and a distant view of the world.
To be clear, being conservative because of one’s upbringing is not a point of shame nor should it ever be — mentioning this footnote just helps shed light on misconceptions in the outside world and adds nuance to a hyper-polarizing topic. We are what our past made us. I, for one, wouldn't have it any other way.
So if you made it this far (in that case, congrats and thank you for your time) or just decided to scroll down to the bottom to get an answer (which is lowk valid), here it is. No, Penn isn’t conservative. Penn is not a conservative school, but a libertarian one. Its student body wouldn’t allow it any other way. Our backgrounds have made us socially liberal, but simultaneously unwilling to support government intervention in the market sector, preferring to leave the private sector to their own devices. Any talk of imposing theoretical guardrails is to prevent cognitive dissonance.
EDEN LIU is a College first year studying PPE from Taipei, Taiwan. His email is edenliu@sas.upenn.edu.
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