Kids will rebel.(Politics)

Kids Will Rebel

Brian Anderson, "On Campus, Conservatives Talk Back," City Journal, Winter 2005 (city-journal.org)

Conservative ranks appear to have swelled at American universities. The number of College Republicans has tripled over the past six years to 120,000 (more than the College Democrats). Among students, political views in general--on taxation, the environment, and abortion--have moved considerably rightward since 1995.

City Journal senior editor Brian Anderson decided to examine this phenomenon by interviewing about 50 campus conservatives from around the country. He found these next-generation conservatives' opinions to be remarkably trenchant in many areas. They are firmly behind the war on terror and deeply opposed to affirmative action. They are reliably pro-life and favor the traditional family. They dislike forced "diversity," but have no general objection to gay marriage. As one Vanderbilt student quipped, "Heterosexuals have already done a decent job of cheapening marriage on their ...