The Effect of an Illinois Wesleyan Education on Political Ideology

The Effect of an Illinois Wesleyan Education on Political Ideology

Political commentators often label American students not as liberals or conservatives, but simply as apathetic citizens unconcerned with political issues. The number of students venturing to the polls continues to be depressing to any advocate of a democratic form of government. Outside of political science classrooms, few students seem to be knowledgeable of simple political events and personalities.

Has this apathy always plagued universities in the United States? There existed in the 1960s a movement in American students that awakened a generation of political activists. The rise of the student movement in opposition to the Vietnam War gained national attention as teach-ins and other forms of protest became a daily occurrence on campuses. The beginning of the student-based civil rights movement only fueled this activism. As the media looked on, the students of America gained a reputation as a radical, left-wing population.

The nation has seen a rebirth of many of the Vietnam-era values in today’s students. Protests, mostly in opposition to the war in Iraq, have become frequent events on college campuses. Student organizations advocating equal rights for women, racial minorities and the gay community have made their voice heard in state and federal legislatures. Perhaps there is some truth to the view that college students are a very liberal group that tends to become more liberal as they approach graduation.

Many scholars feel that the university environment nurtures this liberalization in the student body. There seems to be a general acceptance of social and economic liberal ideas both in and out of the classroom. Some feel that professors have a large effect on students’ political development. Others speculate that the material studied by students awakens new views that tend to push them to the left. Still others believe that it is the effect of peers and the general college environment that has the biggest impact. Whatever the source, it seems as if college students tend to cross the graduation platform more liberal than they arrive. This research will look at the political views of students at