<p>I know that one's occupation has nothing to do with his/her political stance, but from what you've seen in academia and in firms, which side do you see colleagues lean towards?</p>
<p>Neither. Engineers seem to be fairly moderate in my experience. Which side of that center line they fall is largely regional.</p>
<p>In my experience, they tend to be white Conservative or Libertarian. I rarely see deviation from this. But again thats just in NY, NJ and CT. I have no other view outside of this.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>At least from who I know and who I went to school with, engineers are very unlikely to be moderate. They tend to be incredibly opinionated and obsessed with their own view of the world. They tend to stick to their guns and will debate to all ends to prove their view is correct and really never quit to the point of embarrassment. Engineers are far more likely to be extremists. Just look at the so called terrorists of the world. The vast majority of them have engineering education.</p>
<p>The vast majority of terrorists have no education, and that is why they can be brainwashed into blindly following extremist clerics. Most terrorist cells have a handful of engineers at most. The rest are just uneducated, blind followers.</p>
<p>There is a difference between being moderate and being strongly opinionated. One can be moderate and also strongly opinionated. Most engineers that I have been around, drawing from my experience in both the Midwest and the South, are moderate. They may be very strongly rooted in their opinions, but the opinions themselves tend to be mug closer to center than the average citizen. Libertarianism is probably the most common viewpoint that I have come across, but I have run into nearly as many slightly liberal engineers as slightly conservative or libertarian engineers, and very few extremely polarized viewpoints.</p>
<p>Sorry but you are simply wrong. [Why</a> do so many terrorists have engineering degrees? - By Benjamin Popper - Slate Magazine](<a href=“http://www.slate.com/id/2240157]Why”>Why do so many terrorists have engineering degrees?)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/what-makes-a-terrorist[/url]”>http://www.american.com/archive/2007/november-december-magazine-contents/what-makes-a-terrorist</a></p>
<p>Exactly. The handful of masterminds or bombmakers behind attacks are often engineers, but that isn’t “most terrorists.” That is the handful of elite guys in the ranks of terrorist cells. The guys who were born to radical families, brainwashed as a kid, and then sent to the universities oftentimes using terrorist money for the purpose of engineering terrorism. They were radical long before becoming “engineers” and the profession has nothing to do with their extremism.</p>
<p>Additionally, religious extremism is almost completely unrelated to political views. Religious extremists want religious rule and that is about it. Politics is a totally different game.</p>
<p>Booted, I would quit while you are behind. Boneh3ad happens to be right on this topic and saying that Engineers are radical because a few radical muslims are engineers is absurd.</p>
<p>
What the hell? This is one of the most blanketing and stereotyping statement about engineers that I’ve ever heard before. Not to mention that it couldn’t possibly be true.</p>
<p>I’m not even quite sure what to say, that post is ridiculous.</p>
<p>i would say more likely apathetic/non-political than either liberal or conservative.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Did you actually read the article.? It showed that engineers simply do not sit back, they are violent and they are extreme. The presented study also stated that “According to the original paper, engineers described themselves as “strongly conservative” and “deeply religious””, So ones beliefs and and opinions have a direct result in the profession they choose. </p>
<p>[Why</a> So Many Terrorists Get Their Start as Engineers - AOL News](<a href=“http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/why-so-many-terrorists-get-their-start-as-engineers/19296112]Why”>News, Politics, Sports, Mail & Latest Headlines - AOL.com)</p>
<p>
This contributes what exactly? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You obviously have never worked on an actual engineering team then. Compromise is not something that comes easy.</p>
<p>Considering moderates make up the majority of the U.S. population, I would think most would fall in this category. Usually people have different views on different things, nowadays it seems that people do not stick strictly to “party lines”.</p>
<p>Interesting topic. I attend Michigan, which has a very liberal reputation. But in the College of Engineering, I’d say it is much more apathetic to slightly conservative. (With the exception of URM engineers, who are much more liberal.)</p>
<p>Engineers are terrorists okay.</p>
<p>Just deal with it or we’ll bomb you.</p>
<p>Conservative because engineers are smart :)</p>
<p>Actually basically what that article says that unemployed people are likely to become radicals, which is what happened to many engineers in the middle east. It definitely does not say engineers are radical. What it offers stronger proof of is that out of work people become radicals much easier.</p>
<p>"Conservative because engineers are smart "</p>
<p>Could not have said it better. :)</p>
<p>Liberal because engineers are smart :)</p>
<p>In my experience, they are generally moderate (and i go to a very conservative school). This does not mean that they are not opinionated, this just means that they don’t tie to a particular party regarding every policy. I’ve also found that it can vary within engineering disciplines. Aerospace, for instance, has big ties to national defense and seems to be a more conservative major because of it. But this is still a sweeping generalization.</p>
<p>inb4politicsfight (if I’m not too late).</p>
<p>I’d say the majority of engineers are probably conservative because conservatives and engineers both tend to be realists (partly due to their massive attention to detail as well as analytical-based skills).</p>
<p>inb4politicsfight (if I’m not too late).</p>
<p>I’d say the majority of engineers are probably conservative because conservatives and engineers both tend to be realists (partly due to their massive attention to detail as well as analytical-based skills).</p>