Conservatives are More Generous

This should come to no surprise to most conservatives, but a recent study from a liberal has shown that conservatives outgive secular liberals in terms of philanthropy, regardless of income and other potential confounding variables. This is not just in money. Conservatives give more blood and volunteer time as well.

In the book, he cites extensive data analysis to demonstrate that values advocated by conservatives -- from church attendance and two-parent families to the Protestant work ethic and a distaste for government-funded social services -- make conservatives more generous than liberals.

The book's basic findings are that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure.

It appears as though the values voter does have a point when also voting for lower taxes. Like the article in October's issue of the Counterweight about Christianity and tax policy indicated, religious conservatives would rather give money to charities out of their own free will than to have the government forcefully take it away from them. So what remains here is the question of why liberals aren't as generous. Is it because they are lazy and would rather have a big, impersonal government make them feel good about themselves because of the socialist economic policies they enact that supposedly help the poor? Probably not. The conclusion is probably what is quoted above: the values taught in church and the structure of traditional families creates the most stable context in which an individual can grow up in and learn how to lead a life in accordance with God, in service to others and not to some impersonal centralized government.

- burke