Charity as a function of political orientation

[HydrogenBond]

I don't have a reference for this study, but I heard that a charity study was performed to figure out some of the demographic of giving during the Holiday season. They set up two Salvation Army collection posts, one in a high end area of very liberal San Fransisco, and another in a small lconservative midwest town near a lower budget store. The results were somewhat surprising to me. The poorer conservatives gave more than the better off liberals, in both percentage as well as in absolute numbers.

 

I thought this was strange. The Liberals tend to promote social programs that give to the poor. While the conservatives tend to promote self reliance and are against handout.s Yet, in their own personal giving, the liberals acted more tight with their money, while the conservatives act more generous with their own money.

 

One way to explain this is that liberals like to help, but only if they can use other peoples money, i.e, higher taxes. The conservatives don't like to spend other people's moneyon charity, i.e., lower taxes, but are willing to give more of their own. Neither seem to put their own money where their mouth is.