Liberals accept cheating on taxes, cheating on their spouses and lying for their own self interests, Peter Schweizer, author of Makers and Takers, said.
Schweizer spoke at the Heritage Foundation about his book focusing on “why conservatives work harder, feel happier, have closer families, take fewer drugs, give more generously, value honesty more, are less materialistic and envious, whine less…and even hug their children more than liberals.”
He decided to write his book after liberals published articles about conservatives. His book is based on research conducted by non-partisan researchers at the University of Illinois and University of Michigan.
“Conservatives are much more likely to believe that truth is absolute; liberals think that truth is relative,” said Schweizer. “Liberal relativism influences behavior and attitudes that people have toward honesty.”
Schweizer, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, said that “conservatives give toward people [who] are in need. Liberals give toward the opera and museums.”
“Ronald Reagan gave six to seven percent of his adjusted gross income to charity. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was very wealthy, and he received equivalent of millions of dollars,” said Schweizer. “He only gave about three percent of his income to charitable causes.”
Schweizer said that conservatives and liberals value different ideas.
“Conservative families tend to be closer than liberal families,” said Schweizer. “Conservatives are much more trusting of their siblings; this emphasis is placed on family, and we do not quite this find with liberals.”
According to Schweizer’s research, based on the university studies, 78 percent of conservatives said “yes you can get ahead in life by working hard” and 14 percent of liberals said yes. In addition, liberals also have different priorities, he said.
“Liberalism says that you can outsource your responsibility and let the government take care of it,” said Schweizer. “Liberalism believes that the American system is fundamentally flawed. Modern liberals do not believe you can improve your lot in life.”
Believe it or not, liberals are also more avaricious.
“After health, liberals value money most, and for conservatives, it’s family,” said Schweizer. “What liberalism has said since the 1960s is to be liberated; the family can be oppressed.”
Schweizer said that conservatives tend to value morals more, especially moral obligations to family and friends. When asked “do you have a moral obligation to care for a spouse or parent that is injured?,” 70 percent of conservatives said yes whereas 46 percent of liberals said yes.
Liberals tend to focus on “hyper-individualism” but conservative parents teach their kids to focus on others’ needs, said Schweizer.
“Conservative parents are more likely to discipline children, more likely to talk to their kids about sex, and their kids are less likely to do drugs and drink [alcohol],” said Schweizer.
Melinda Zosh is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.
