<p>I just want to start off this post asking people to please not take this offensively because i know politics often causes really heated debates. Anyway I have heard almost everywhere I read about Wisconsin that it is a very liberal and politically active campus. I live in NYC where almost everyone is a democrat and although almost all my friends are liberal I go to a school where about 5% of students and teachers are conservative. The school and many teachers are very open about their beliefs and try to impose them on others to a point where it is simply uncomfortable to tell people that I am conservative. Is Wisconsin the same way or is there also a good percentage of republicans on campus?</p>
<p>Not a conservative or Republican town/campus, therefore probably not a "good" percentage in your eyes. Check out the campus Republican group for more info.</p>
<p>I don't care as much about the percentage I'm more concerned that I don't feel like I can't express my opinions and need to hide my political views from people. I also couldn't find any statistics for the percentage of republicans on campus when I looked at that group.</p>
<p>Percentages don't always matter or tell the story. It doesn't matter what the majority is doing if you can find like minded people to associate with- a small percentage at a large school such as UW can mean plenty of people. Try contacting the campus group and see how they feel about the campus. College is not about promoting the status quo but about challenging it. Much time can be spent debating issues of all sorts, and not along party lines. Wisconsin voters, btw, are independent. This means many are never members of any political party but vote for the candidates, not their party affiliation. You do not register in any party to vote in the open primary, some wish you weren't restricted to a single party in choosing candidates in a primary election! Until things were changed some years ago the state could have the governor and lt governor coming from different parties. Ripon, WI is the birthplace of the Republican Party.</p>
<p>Thanks Wis75 that was very informative. How would I contact the campus group though? I don't see a number or email address anywhere.</p>
<p>If you are interested in ideas than the campus is a great place. If you want a more conservative college experience you may not like it.</p>
<p>fyi: Organizations</a> by Category</p>
<p>thanks stooge that link had contact information which was good</p>
<p>do u know if theres something like that for all campus groups besides just political ones?</p>
<p>Yes, just navigate around and there's tons of info:</p>
<p>RSO</a> Directory</p>
<p>Grossly overrated as a liberal place. Moderate to moderate conservative. Very, very little activism.</p>
<p>Compared to what?? So far you have four posts and they are all grossly erroneous diatribes. What is your function?</p>
<p>People need a cause to be active- more quiet than in the Vietnam war heyday, but so are students all over the country. I thought I was conservative growing up in Dane county and attending UW in the early "70's but realized how conservative other areas are in comparison when I moved. L Men... you probably haven't experienced other areas to compare.</p>
<p>As an extremelly libertarian person who generally supports the GOP (not always, but I never support dems), I have to say that I really liked the Madison campus and am probably applying and going there next year. There was a huge tea party there, too yesterday. It's not necessarily conservative, but it is more conservative than NYC. I think you'll love it. We need as many Republicans as we can get here in Madison. Plus, one of the main bloggers at HotAir graduated from UW and lives in Madison.</p>
<p>To be so locked into one's political beliefs before college or any true independent life experiences is pretty absurd. I'm just saying, and this isn't meant as any offense to anyone. Go into college with an open mind: knowing generally what your core ideals are, but be ready to be challenged and willing to let some of your beliefs be a bit more fluid than it sounds like they are.</p>
<p>Personally, I was a radical democrat throughout high school, growing up in a staunchly union town. I couldn't have known the first thing about labor policy or economics on any real-world level. Through college I got very liberal on social issues (although mostly libertarian--ironically meaning I don't align with what the Republican party has become, socially) and surprisingly more conservative on fiscal ones. The point is, don't be so rigid. Have guiding principles, but be more willing to truly gain knowledge and perspectives, instead of maintaining a bullheadedness that gets you nowhere and prevents you from gaining a greater understanding of the world.</p>