Is the stereotype that Republicans and Conservatives are of lower IQ or uneducated generally true?

[Physics-Man]

It seems that it's the most commonly used insult against Republicans and Conservatives.

Yes

No

[BeMuse]

Nope. The old stereotype of conservative is “White men”… White men specifically as a demographic tend to perform relatively high on psychometric tests when compared to many minority groups and women. There are obviously IQ gaps in various demographic groups that are trying to equalize with White men. There are many handicaps and test reworkings to try to soften tests for the intellectually weak groups. Many of those same groups side with Democrats. So to argue that conservatives have a lower IQ is just a failure of logic. There are conservatives that aren’t all that bright, but when you compare coalitions, you are likely to find more high IQ people that are conservative than those communists you find on the left mascaraing as Democrats. A prime example would obviously be the racial IQ gap in the Black population. Across various IQ tests, the Black population lags behind the White population by 10 to 15 points. Nine tenths of Blacks tend to vote Democrat because they follow the communist agenda set out by pseudo intellectuals like W. E. B. Du Bois in their community. Obviously that ideology hasn’t done much for them in the past century but they keep repeating its failures. Another historic example would be women. As a demographic women have also lagged behind men by about 5 points on IQ tests and they like Blacks also tend to participate in that same partisan gap leaning more Democrat. That’s not to say there aren’t bright leftists that lead the rabble, but it is just inferring that on average there are probably more bright people that lean conservative than communist.

[Not_Average]

The statistics show that Republicans have less formal education. Two things to consider here though…

1) University serves as a brainwashing indoctrination camp today. Holy shit… Ik back in school getting a another degree in Economics right now, and it’s gotten really bad. Most students going into uni don’t have a political bias. By the time they leave, they are hard core progressive democrats.

2) Republicans tend to populate more rural areas in which the demand is practical blue collar work. Also, most entrepreneurs are at least fiscally conservative. In other words, occupational choices for republicans don’t require a degree.

[OlderAndWiser]

Liberals say that because, on many college campuses, conservatives are intimidated and pressured to remain silent, while the liberals are quite loud about their beliefs, and it creates the impression that conservatives are not educated. And the MSM is very selective in the sounds bytes they select to inaccurately portray conservatives.

[ADFSDF1996]

If that’s the commiecrats’ way of saying that Republicans are dumb then it’s utter BS.

Here is the thing though, most of those “prestigious” colleges just happen to be in Democrat states like Massachusetts. Which means that most of the people who have access to these colleges are Democrats or misc left wingers.

Second of all, why are these pinkos interested in promoting the idea that Republicans have low IQs? Are they not the same people who constantly claim IQ is meaningless?

[BazookaTrouper]

Also it's hard to stay in school or college if you get suspended or expelled for not toeing the line of wokescold feminazi politics.

[zeitgeist057]

Colleges don't just "happen" to be in a certain state any more than any other business "happens" to be there. It's supply and demand, simple economics. The irony being that if you don't have an education or intelligence, you're not going to understand simple concepts like these, and some other explanation will come your your imagination like it's magic, or witchcraft, or just weird luck of the draw.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057

Ironic statement since it doesn’t seem that you understand certain colleges are better than others.

Better funding
Better services
etc

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057

Harvard considered to be one of the “best” colleges in America, is located in a Democrap state called Massachusetts.

Second of all, how do we know for sure the people conducting the study didn’t let their biases influence the way they conducted the study?

[ADFSDF1996]

@BazookaTrouper That’s also true

Something that @zeitgeist057 doesn’t seem to understand. Many conservative students will either get expelled for their politics or they will drop out because they do not feel welcomed in those colleges.

Another thing worth mentioning is that Christians have their own colleges as well and historically Christians have contributed the most towards scientific discoveries and technological innovations. So of course those stats won’t include that factor.

[zeitgeist057]

Better funding? Good point. Goes hand in hand with Republican voting practices of consistently decreasing funds to education. If you decrease funds to education, how do you expect the colleges to be better funded? Whining that schools are defunded after voting for them to be defunded, that's something I don't understand. People ought to take responsibility for their stances and the effect their decisions have.

There were no exclusions of degrees or education obtained at Christian colleges, it just wasn't significant. Nevertheless, great example of using imagination and creativity to pretend facts are invalid.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057 Like I said, most colleges are present in democrat states. Not to mention that many conservative student tend to avoid mainstream college due to politics.

“ There were no exclusions of degrees or education obtained at Christian colleges, it just wasn't significant. Nevertheless, great example of using imagination and creativity to pretend facts are invalid.”

Keep deluding yourself pal. I already refuted your anti Christian mindset on a separate post where I listed all of the great Christian minds that contributed towards the advancement of science and technology.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057

Why Religion is Not for Intelligent, Logical, People. ↗

Re-read my reply on this fallacious post of yours.

[zeitgeist057]

Look, a herring! I can see you're satisfied with yourself, so no need for me to sit here and watch you masturbate.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057 Keep deluding yourself

[zeitgeist057]

1. You have no concept of how to make a valid argument.

2. Example: taking one word "christian" and pretending as though I said something anti-christian, then attacking that. It's a well known way that people who don't understand logic argue, called a "paper tiger".

3. Example: Instead of providing an answer to a simple statement, you cannot come up with anything, so you go to my profile page hunting for some way to change the subject to something irrelevant to this conversation. Red herrings and ad hominem attacks, also popular on the logical fallacies list.

4. Example: you infer that when statisticians compiled data about college degrees and education, they specifically excluded/deleted or otherwise left out any degrees or education received at religious schools, with absolutely no evidence for your claims, add this to your profile stalking session to make an ad hominem attack.

You've successfully derailed the conversation, since you had nothing valid that supported your claims. So congratulations, this is why I call it masturbation. You're just pleasing yourself with a fantasy, imagining you're making any sense at all.

Using the word "delusion" in various forms repeatedly while doing all this is an incredibly excellent display of irony.

You either suffer from the delusion that any of your logical fallacies have some validity, or you suffer from the delusion that people aren't smart enough to see through these weak distraction techniques when you have no relevant answer. Either way, I'll leave you to it. I don't have the desire to teach you what you need to understand in order to have a productive, intelligent, conversation.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057

1.) I’m not the one distorting facts.

2.) Now you are lying, that whole post I link is you attacking Christianity.

3.) It’s called referencing

4.) Statistics can be rigged

[zeitgeist057]

ah well I stand corrected.

[ADFSDF1996]

@zeitgeist057

Furthermore there’s not just one study that looks into the comparison between liberal and conservative IQ. One study found that Strong Republicans have slightly higher IQs than strong Democrats. reason.com/.../?amp

[zeitgeist057]

Great article. The "Strong R. vs. Strong D." point you plucked out from it is thoroughly and satisfactorily explained:

"a segment of the American population holding classical liberal beliefs tends to vote Republican... intelligence actually correlates with classically liberal beliefs... Carl reconciles his findings with the social science literature that reports that liberals are more intelligent than conservatives by proposing that Americans with classically liberal beliefs are even smarter... those who endorse both social conservatism and economic statism also have lower verbal IQ scores... 'Overall, my findings suggest that higher intelligence among classically liberal Republicans compensates for lower intelligence among socially conservative Republicans'"

I find these statements completely in alignment with my perspective. It makes sense that the more liberal Republicans, with more educated, wider, open-minded, and thoughtful perspectives are going to bring up the average which is weighed down by the more socially conservative and to quote the article again, those who just don't put much effort into cognition: "political conservatism may be a process consequence of low-effort thought.'".

I do see the appeal of libertarianism, and in an ideal world of responsible people, that level of freedom would be the most intelligent choice. But unfortunately, left to their own devices, humans and their incorporated entities freely "shit where they eat", poisoning water, land, and air with unregulated waste (see such examples as the poisoning of Hinkley, CA, or any of the places listed here www.loveproperty.com/.../toxic-towns-you-still-cant-live-in The thing most have in common is they were poisoned by the unregulated waste of operations that created resources to generate wealth. ). So while libertarianism is idealistic, it's not realistic. Of course, any political ideology has flaws, since humans do.

[ludorock]

No. What's true is that we are part of a society that wants people to hate each other. Because the system is very delicate and when the people unite and realize their power, the whole thing is over thrown. Part of protecting that system is figuring out how to turn people against each other.

One of the ways we're turned against each other is through politics and lies. We've come to treat politics like sports or like Hollywood. Joe Biden is not Uncle Joe. He's not a good person, he hasn't done good things and he lies all the damn time. Donald Trump is not a hero or a savior or a wise advisor or anything. He's not a good person, he didn't and doesn't do good things and he lies all the time.

But, because politics is like a sporting event now, we have a candidate who we root for and, if they win, they must have our undying loyalty - and that's nonsense. We should vote for people we support and then berate them when they don't live up to what they said they'd do - EYES ON YOU DEMOCRATS. But we should not form fan clubs, we should not 'stan' them, we should not even want to like them - they serve us and we should hold them to standards and expectations.

All of that to say - the political parties, because of this dynamic of us vs them and right vs wrong have divided our country. It's not that Republicans/Conservatives are dumb, it's that they've been told a different truth - that poor people are the problem, that immigrants are the problem, that women having abortions are the problem, etc... And because of the way politics works, they're not allowed to question that. They're not dumb and more than Democrats are dumb.

The advantage that liberal-leaning people have is that the socio-economic studies that have been done, support their policies and ideologies. Studies have shown that just taking people off the street and giving them a home skyrockets their chance to find a job, recover from addiction and become a good little capitalist like the rest of us. Studies have shown that universal basic income has positive effects on people and the community and ends up saving them money in the long run. Same with universal health care.

The problem is that Communism (and thus Socialism) has been so demonized here in America that we can't see that we're shooting ourselves in the foot. We can't help anybody else because it's all communism and that's evil, look at Russia. or China. or Korea. This is a conversation for another day, but the point is-

TLDR: Republicans aren't dumb. They're just told different stories and aren't allowed to challenge them, just as Democrats are told stories and not allowed to challenge them - and there are plenty of stories Democrats tell that are lies, as well. We're all struggling to figure it out, and we should all be doing it together, in community, hating the people who divided us so, not hating each other, the other cogs of the machine.

[Friendlybro79]

This is so perfectly said. Thank you for sharing this.

[zeitgeist057]

A quick google reveals that statistically, yes, these statements are true. In "red" states, IQ scores are lower, education ratings are lower, graduation rates are lower, degrees in higher education received are lower.

That said, there are plenty of reasons a person could come up with to justify these facts and argue they don't reflect any concrete conclusions about intelligence or education. Imaginations are glorious, and with a little creativity, and especially if you have religion, you can turn night into day, make the Earth flat, and take horse de-wormer to cure a viral disease. No intelligence needed.

Ribbing aside, I feel a need to add that being "intelligent" or educated isn't the be all end all by a long shot. I don't think that intelligence or education makes me better than anyone else. The primary benefits I get are having a deeper understanding and more perspective than I might otherwise. But that's only valuable to me because those are things I value. It doesn't put me above or below other people.

[PenkWing]

I don’t want to answer to this. There are statistics about how people with higher education are more likely to vote liberal. And higher education correlated with IQ.

What’s the issue with this? The issue is that both measures (education level, and even more IQ) are terrible for actually understanding people. IQ is inherently classist and racist (for real, read about it if you are curious) and it’s challenged whether it makes sense to have a metric for individual intelligence.

It might have sense to say that less educated people tend to vote conservative more, because it’s factual, but beware of the hidden implication. It’s not saying anything about the mental prowess of these people. It’s only suggesting there is some correlation between social context and voting decision (and tradition).

It’s also probably true that the conservative campaigns all over the world are playing dirty by using misinformation and lies that could be easily proven false if you have the right tools. But this tells more about the ethics of the officials driving this campaigns and the pool of people they consider more vulnerable for gaining a bunch of extra votes. It’s not a judgment on the intelligence of individuals.

So, in the end, I hate this question because it suggests something which is not only wrong, but has pretty awful implications.

[tatianamay]

No, that's stupid. I said it once, and I'm saying it again. Both these parties need to sit down and figure out what's best for the people, and how to unite both conservatives and liberals. Why are people hating on each other? Is it just because of politics? When did we allow corrupted politicians to divide us?

[normalice]

People generally assume republicans are bitter about education not providing the riches they were promised. This further causes some to conclude that republicans are less likely to pursue education in the first place, preferring to believe things like "street smarts" or "common sense" are more valuable. And it is true intelligence and education are not the same. But they correlate heavily. The problem is it is mostly lack of funding that causes education to fail and it is always >always< republicans who cut education funding. The fact that conservative voters vote for the people who cut education funding while also being bitter about the effects of that funding being cut is the actual thing most on the left consider unintelligent.

[ShadezMcgee]

Far from true. much like it is for the opposite side. Can we say liberals are a bunch of looney tune motherfuckers that are condescending, love the smell of their own farts, carry a false sense of superiority due to their ideals and philosphy, and claim to be very intelligent because of their education level and use that as a way to take a higher point in an argument? Absolutely we could, but that isn't true either. It is a stereotype born based from memes and viral videos. IQ is not strictly limited to political leaning. It is just a desperate jab to put someone down that really loses credibility because it is angled and framed from a political outcome.

[Anonymous]

From Pew Research:

Education. Democrats lead by 22 points (57%-35%) in leaned party identification among adults with post-graduate degrees. The Democrats’ edge is narrower among those with college degrees or some post-graduate experience (49%-42%), and those with less education (47%-39%). Across all educational categories, women are more likely than men to affiliate with the Democratic Party or lean Democratic. The Democrats’ advantage is 35 points (64%-29%) among women with post-graduate degrees, but only eight points (50%-42%) among post-grad men.

Yes, factually, Republicans are less likely than Democrats to be educated.

[Ghostlock]

There was a study that was done that proved that in general, Republican voters were less educated that Democratic voters. Having said that, this does not mean that there are very intelligent people on the Republican side, nor does this not mean there are not complete morons on the Democratic side, we have all seen them and got great laughs out of some of the stupid things they say, but in general, according to studies, this is true.

What may surprise you, is that those who ride down the middle line and have no allegiance to Republicans or Democrats tend to have a more clear understanding of politics, as they have no bias. They look at both parties objectively and logically and see the painfully obvious faults in both parties. This may or may not make them more intelligent, but it does make them more aware and informed voters.

[bolverk]

As much as the Progressives would like the country to think so there is no proof that a persons politics has anything to do with with their intelligence.
Republicans/Conservatives will listen to what is being said, consider and analyse it, and respond with a cogent argument if needed.
Democrats/ Progressives will not let anyone finish, instead exploding with a load of dogma laded blether that makes little if any sense.
So on balance I'd say its the Democrats/ Progressives that have the lower IQ or uneducated generally.

[Belgie]

No. Accusations of low intelligence may be the go to in the political sphere, but there's no actual correlation between intelligence and political beliefs. Peoples politics are more often shaped by family and environment or direct benefit.

If you are wealthy enough to benefit from tax cuts, chances are high you'll vote republican. If you're poor enough to need social welfare programs chances are good that you'll vote Democrat.

Environment factors can simply be issues of what state you live in, to religious pressures or the pressures of family.

And always there are exceptions. If your brother is a Republican and you see he is corrupt, you might respond by openly criticising him and voting Democrat, rather than just vote for a different Republican.

People can be weird and influenced by many things, but it's a lie to think one party's followers are just universally more stupid.

[bamesjond0069]

I think they have more logical thinking and less formal education but more practical education. I think they tend to be leaders and individualistic, they focus on just doing whats right/makes sense for themselves and those around them because that is their highest purpose. Think lions.

Liberals i think have more emotional thinking, more formal education and less practical education. They tend to value being a follower and a cog in the great machine that has some higher purpose. Think ants.

[lightbulb27]

no, many are well educated and business successful. But they tend to be more religiously tilted... and I think there's mind control in that which limits their thinking. Anyone can be subject to mind control and abuse.

Even religion doesn't define it, it's something emotionally that differs.

[Avicenna]

Well, the leftists are notorious these days for propaganda and continual incitement against their political opponents, so that alone would discredit such a claim, but it's also a matter of them trying to avoid scrutiny of their terrible policies and their devastatingly negative effects.

[FilmGuy93]

It's statistically true, but not for the reason that Liberals tend to think. Conservatives generally live away from cities where the competition required to make a life for yourself isn't as steep, which means that they don't need to go to a 4-year university to land a job.

[Anonymous]

Intelligence is established birth. Nothing will change that. If I had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, I'd much rather the other members of the society be conservatives. The conservative half of the island would begin looking for fresh water, hunting, gathering, fishing and building shelter.

The liberal half would all be seeking government jobs so they could tax the rich on the island.

[Twalli]

As a whole, they are. Individually they aren't. Most blue collar workers that live in extremely rural areas and like guns and God vote conservative. Most people who live in cities or heavily populated areas vote liberal. Schools, gun restrictions, and secularism is more widespread in population dense areas. So with access to better schools and less people openly carrying guns along with a less religious population more people vote liberal. Since the education level can be better in such areas, liberals as a whole are often better educated.

[Jersey2]

Of course not! That is just something the DNC made up so their paycheck to paycheck voters feel good about themselves.

Republicans have the money, the big jobs and the hot spouse. They aren’t dumb, the people who believe they are are the ones who are dim witted. Lol, now the dim witted will retort with a picture or an anecdotal story to “prove” their point… so wrapped up in it to feel superior to someone or anyone… desperate dumbasses seeking validation.

[J2ohhhhh]

Usually it is people at the bottom if society who are more affected by crime and immigration, so being liberal is a sort of virtue signalling that you are not affected by these factors. So yeah leas successful people are likely to have lower IQ, but lower IQ won't make people conservative, but being more affected by crime and immigration.