<p>Hi guys, I’m still doubting about where I should go. I noticed that at Amherst people are pretty tolerant and that’s great with me. Though I’m asking this question because I saw something that mentioned that most Amherst students are liberal, very liberal and that conservatives are not tolerated. How true is this statement and in which way is it shown? It’s not like I’m very involved with politics in the U.S., since I’m an international student but, why if the student body is so tolerant is it not tolerant to other political viewpoints?</p>
<p>[New</a> Study Suggests Faculty Bias at Brown](<a href=“http://thebrownspectator.com/faculty-liberal-bias-brown-university/]New”>http://thebrownspectator.com/faculty-liberal-bias-brown-university/)</p>
<p>If this phenomenon were to exist at Amherst, it would not be unique to the College.</p>
<p>Haha, Brown is known for being a very liberal institution, I didn’t know that Amherst was too, though. Yes, I believe most top colleges are liberal, but the fact that conservative ideas are not tolerated seems extreme to me.</p>
<p>The Brown Spectator is a self-described conservative blog and their definition of “liberal” is basically a proxy for the Democratic Party:</p>
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<p>Ok, so the article’s partial then. </p>
<p>Still, does anybody know the answer to my question?</p>
<p>I would say that Amherst is much more conservative than comparable schools.</p>
<p>I was not ready to read this by an amherst student…</p>
<p>“there is a serious hatred against any conservative viewpoint. Just this year a conservative student was attacked by a bunch of drunk liberal students because of an article he wrote for a school publication. One student received a suspension, the others were not identified. The conservative groups on campus receive little/no funding from the administration and they are trying to get the best conservative professor on campus to leave.”</p>
<p>Is amherst this intolerant?
Wow…</p>
<p>That’s what I’m talking about! Kind of shocked me too!</p>
<p>The only source I find for this incident is in an anonymous posting on a college review site. I didn’t find anything about it in the Amherst newspaper–perhaps somebody else can find it.</p>
<p>I also connot find any ref except one- which is unusual, since the media is quick to make a buck on college horror tales. Most colleges don’t have the clout to suppress this sort of thing, so??? .</p>
<p>OP, as my prof friend recently defined it for a less liberal friend of mine: on a liberal campus, you will find more pro-choice than pro-life, more Obama supporters than McCain folks- and fewer pro-Palin or Tea Party types. Kids tend to accept that other kids might drink or do drugs- but make their own choices. Same for acceptance of gays. And, they are usually quite open to other races, ethnicities (or whatever differences) mingling, being friends, dating, etc. In general, liberal folks tend to be tolerant- many are proud of that.</p>
<p>Many profs do tend to identify themselves as liberal, in terms of politics, religion and social considerations, but this does not have to make for an unpleasant experience. (After all, except for classes devoted to scientic or analytical facts, part of the profs’ responsibility is to ensure kids are versed in multiple perspectives.) “Critial thinking” is also an important skill valued by all the good colleges.</p>
<p>Yes, if you express an ultra-conservative viewpoint, you might get a slew of kids arguing against you- especially if you advocate what seems to be an intolerant or restrictive attitude. </p>
<p>To see if you “fit” at Amherst, check <a href=“https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/studentgroups[/url]”>https://www.amherst.edu/campuslife/studentgroups</a> for an idea of the range of clubs and activities- ie, the range of interests.</p>
<p>Same for Brown- as a larger school, it has tons of viewpoints.</p>
<p>DD graduated 2 years ago, and she felt as though she couldn’t speak freely about her conservatism, and that it would affect her grades in certain subjects. Be aware, however, that at my no-name college bitd I spoke out about something and actually backed up my point with evidence after my poli sci prof made an unfounded liberal statement. (I was pretty liberal then, but always felt that truth will out.) My grade DID suffer. But back then, we didn’t protest. Too much subjectivity in essays, so prof always had a way out. Most colleges and universities have a liberal bent.</p>
<p>Most (read: nearly all) elite colleges and universities in America skew towards the left, though Amherst doesn’t carry the same type of reputation that Columbia, Brown, or Wesleyan do for being especially radically liberal. In the few classes I sat in there (mostly Poli Sci and Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought), conservative views were freely expressed, and professors (who, for what it’s worth, have published generally liberal views in their academic papers) were very evenhanded in critiquing students’ arguments–regardless of their political slant. And of course, Hadley Arkes, one of the most prolific American conservative thinkers, is at Amherst. </p>
<p>My point is, while the majority of the community at Amherst might hold liberal views, it’s not (or, at least, didn’t appear to me as being) a radically, stiflingly leftist place, but rather one where ideas are judged for their intellectual rigor, not their political underpinnings.</p>
<p>Thanks for your response guys! I chatted with some students from Amherst and what they told me is that although the majority of the student body is liberal, that conservatives feel like their views are heard as well. So that’s not a problem anymore!</p>