are the majority of high school dropouts Dems or Repubs?

[pstokely]

or do they even vote?

[salin]

1. given that the majority of all americans don't vote

I would say that it is statistically likely - that this would be true for those americans who are also high school dropouts.

[Videlicet03]

2. My guess is Dems

since dropouts tend to be poor and poor people more often vote Dem than Rep, assuming they vote at all.

[searchingforlight]

3. If you read Michael Moore's condemnation of college ed in general

I don't think it matters one way or the other.

My son is a high school drop-out. Never went back to school. Got his GED and is making 6 figures. Outcomes are unpredictable.

[Cheswick2.0]

4. I hope they are democrats

I hope the majority of all people are democrats. I am not into judging people by what their level of education is.

[IDUDOYOU]

5. Neither

The vast majority of high school dropouts are apolitical, excpet when they reach senior citizenship.
And exceptions don't count.
One anecdotal piece does not mean every high school dropout is that way.

[Cheswick2.0]

10. do you have stats to prove that?

?

[CBGLuthier]

6. Well, since I AM a dropout

I will tell you a few things. I quit HS in the 10th grade.

Went to a technical school instead.

I am incredible liberal.

Very well educated.

Make a pretty comfortable living.

Am heavily involved in politics.

We don't all follow the same path. Some of us have to do things our own way. I sure hope this thread doesn't turn into another bash-a-rama assuming foolish stereotypes.

[searchingforlight]

7. Thank you

I think that one of the problems with education in this country is the assumption that there is only one way to get a good life - the traditional way.

Yale and Harvard produced George W. Bush. He had money so he was able to buy the presidency but he can't speak, he can't write and he can't think for himself.

MANY drop-outs have gone on to find their true path and found the journey interesting and productive.

[zoidberg]

8. Not a foolish stereotype at all

High school dropouts on average make much less than high school graduates or college graduates. There is no denying that. Of course there are going to be outliers in everything. But if you have a high school drop out next to a high school graduate, nine times out of ten the graduate will be better educated, making more money, and generally living a better life than the dropout. I'm very glad that you seem to be the exception, but you are not the rule.

If I had to guess, I'd say that most dropouts don't care and those that do would tend to vote for Democrats.

[whoYaCallinAlib]

9. I think you are right . . . on average dropouts do earn less.

And acccording to a poll I just saw, people earning less than $20,000 a year are the democrats strongest supporters.

[CBGLuthier]

11. I did not say what stereotype I was referring to

You assume I am referring to income figures.

I am just figuring this will devolve into something similar to the south-bashing threads. Along the lines of dropouts are all slack-jawed yokels who are the great ignorant masses that drag this country down.

And I got some sad news for everyone. Most people, regardless of education level just plain don't care about politics or anything other than fulfilling their own selfish needs.

Well over half the country does not vote and I am reasonably sure that does not reflect the dropout rate.

Present company excepted, of course. :)

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. The Dems Have The Lion's Share Of Dropouts

but also the lion's share of those with advanced degrees.

Quite a paradox.


Part of the paradox can be answered that so many with advanced degrees are lawyers.

[Yupster]

14. The higher degree anamoly

It does seem weird that the more educated you are the more likely you are to vote Republican, and then when the advanced degree question comes up, it switches around, but I think the reason is the question just measures high Democratic support among educators, which isn't a surprise to anyone.

In most communities, the biggest group of people by far getting advanced degrees is the local schoolteachers who get a master's, usually during summers and at night to get an extra stipend on their pay scale. I'm a former teacher and so is my wife and we both got ours. Mine is in "Curriculum and Instruction."

To check the numbers, just look at any exit poll. They've been pretty consistent over the last 30 years.

[Rich Hunt]

17. It makes sense

Like that book Lies My Teacher Told Me, many people with just a college education become wealthy and work in more conservative (i.e., corporate) professions.

The author of the book said that education creates allegiance.

However people with Ph.D.s are part of a culture that encourages critical thinking. They are also some of the best informed people. A simple B.A. or a B.S. isn't always enough to "liberalize" people, especially if it's just preparing them for corporate America.

[Yupster]

21. However PHD's

are a very small percentage of the people with advanced degrees.

There are many times more people with master's degrees than PHD's. The PE teacher at your local elementary school likely has a master's degree. He may or may not be a strong critical thinker.

[zoidberg]

18. I have a theory on that

The people most likely to get higher degrees are likely to study law or a humanities (because there aren't that many good humanities jobs for people with only a BA). People interested in these things are more likely to have a liberal outlook. People who study business or engineering probably are less likely to get an advanced degree because those fields will get you a decent job right out of State U. People who study those subjects are more likely to be conservative.

[SharonAnn]

20. Some of us in Business are liberal and have MBAs

Of course we understood some of the things we were taught about supply and demand and other things.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

13. probably unregistered non-voters

I would think.

[dragonquest8]

15. I don't think they even bother to register

[Rich Hunt]

16. they're dems, actually

I've seen the actual stats in a number of books - most notably, Lies my teacher told me.

High school dropouts vote liberal in high numbers.

[jagguy]

19. lost dem voters, most won't bother to vote

a really hard demographic to get involved. Walk around money is about the only method.