East Coast liberal
Encyclopedia
The term East Coast liberal is a pejorative stereotype
encountered in American political culture.
The image associated with East-Coast liberalism is that of a white-collar
young urban professional, usually a white male and Protestant, who is college-educated and cosmopolitan.
Traditionally, East Coast liberals were Republican
industrialists and old money
, exemplified by individuals such as John D. Rockefeller
who were both socially liberal as well as fiscally liberal
in the classical sense, engaging in both social philanthropy
and advocating Laissez-faire
economic policy consistent with classical liberalism
.
Thomas E. Dewey is a contemporary East Coast Republican liberal who was twice nominated by his party to run for the Presidency of the United States.
Notable exceptions to this stereotype were families like the Kennedys, who despite advocating social liberalism
and classical fiscal liberalism, were not a part of the East Coast Philadelphian
establishment on the basis of anti-Catholicism
.
Over the course of the Civil Rights Movement and the Southern Strategy
East Coast liberals gradually migrated to the Democratic Party, despite the fact that the Democratic Party does not generally adhere to classical fiscal liberalism, but rather modern fiscal liberalism. Thus ideologically, the stereotypical "East Coast liberal" would today be considered a liberal-libertarian, as they are generally more progressive and/or more supportive of social justice than the average libertarian. He or she may be less likely to adopt the more radical libertarian positions of repealing gun control laws or legalizing prostitution but more likely to advocate such progressive libertarian positions as legalizing same-sex marriage and upholding abortion rights according to Roe v. Wade guidelines.
An East Coast liberal may also differ from the classical fiscal liberal (or modern fiscal conservative) in that he or she may be more likely to espouse "big government" positions that prevent the deterioration of American society and culture. For example, they are more likely to advocate government spending for environmental protection, AIDS or cancer research, and the arts but are less likely to support raising taxes on the rich, high defense spending, or Keynesian economic policies in general. Overall, they would be considered center-right or moderately conservative in the modern sense according to contemporary fiscal-political terminology in the United States. Some still vote for the Republican Party accordingly, while disagreeing greatly with the social platform of that party.
As the Republican Party became more socially conservative
, the pejorative has become almost exclusively associated with Liberal Democrats, and within American political discourse, the term East Coast Liberal is almost always used as a disparaging epithet
distinguishing from rural or suburban areas usually in Middle America, the Red States.
East Coast liberalism is also contrasted with union/labor liberalism (usually from Rust belt
Cities) and West Coast liberalism.
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
encountered in American political culture.
The image associated with East-Coast liberalism is that of a white-collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
young urban professional, usually a white male and Protestant, who is college-educated and cosmopolitan.
Traditionally, East Coast liberals were Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
industrialists and old money
Old Money
Old money is "the inherited wealth of established upper-class families " or "a person, family, or lineage possessing inherited wealth." The term typically describes a class of the super-rich, who have been able to maintain their wealth across multiple generations.- United States :American locations...
, exemplified by individuals such as John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
who were both socially liberal as well as fiscally liberal
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
in the classical sense, engaging in both social philanthropy
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
and advocating Laissez-faire
Laissez-faire
In economics, laissez-faire describes an environment in which transactions between private parties are free from state intervention, including restrictive regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies....
economic policy consistent with classical liberalism
Classical liberalism
Classical liberalism is the philosophy committed to the ideal of limited government, constitutionalism, rule of law, due process, and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets....
.
Thomas E. Dewey is a contemporary East Coast Republican liberal who was twice nominated by his party to run for the Presidency of the United States.
Notable exceptions to this stereotype were families like the Kennedys, who despite advocating social liberalism
Social liberalism
Social liberalism is the belief that liberalism should include social justice. It differs from classical liberalism in that it believes the legitimate role of the state includes addressing economic and social issues such as unemployment, health care, and education while simultaneously expanding...
and classical fiscal liberalism, were not a part of the East Coast Philadelphian
Old Philadelphians
Old Philadelphians, also called Proper Philadelphians, or Perennial Philadelphians are the First Families of Philadelphia, that class of Pennsylvanians who claim hereditary and cultural descent mainly from England, Wales and Germany, who founded the city of Philadelphia and settled Pennsylvania...
establishment on the basis of anti-Catholicism
Anti-Catholicism in the United States
Strong political and theological positions hostile to the Catholic Church and its followers was prominent among Protestants in Britain and Germany from the Protestant Reformation onwards. Immigrants brought them to the American colonies. Two types of anti-Catholic rhetoric existed in colonial society...
.
Over the course of the Civil Rights Movement and the Southern Strategy
Southern strategy
In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to the Republican Party strategy of winning elections in Southern states by exploiting anti-African American racism and fears of lawlessness among Southern white voters and appealing to fears of growing federal power in social and economic matters...
East Coast liberals gradually migrated to the Democratic Party, despite the fact that the Democratic Party does not generally adhere to classical fiscal liberalism, but rather modern fiscal liberalism. Thus ideologically, the stereotypical "East Coast liberal" would today be considered a liberal-libertarian, as they are generally more progressive and/or more supportive of social justice than the average libertarian. He or she may be less likely to adopt the more radical libertarian positions of repealing gun control laws or legalizing prostitution but more likely to advocate such progressive libertarian positions as legalizing same-sex marriage and upholding abortion rights according to Roe v. Wade guidelines.
An East Coast liberal may also differ from the classical fiscal liberal (or modern fiscal conservative) in that he or she may be more likely to espouse "big government" positions that prevent the deterioration of American society and culture. For example, they are more likely to advocate government spending for environmental protection, AIDS or cancer research, and the arts but are less likely to support raising taxes on the rich, high defense spending, or Keynesian economic policies in general. Overall, they would be considered center-right or moderately conservative in the modern sense according to contemporary fiscal-political terminology in the United States. Some still vote for the Republican Party accordingly, while disagreeing greatly with the social platform of that party.
As the Republican Party became more socially conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
, the pejorative has become almost exclusively associated with Liberal Democrats, and within American political discourse, the term East Coast Liberal is almost always used as a disparaging epithet
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
distinguishing from rural or suburban areas usually in Middle America, the Red States.
East Coast liberalism is also contrasted with union/labor liberalism (usually from Rust belt
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
Cities) and West Coast liberalism.
See also
- Liberal eliteLiberal eliteLiberal elite is a political stigma used to describe affluent, politically left-leaning people. It is commonly used with the pejorative implication that the people who claim to support the rights of the working class are themselves members of the upper class, or upper middle class, and are...
- Limousine liberalLimousine liberalLimousine liberal is a pejorative American political term used to illustrate perceived hypocrisy by a political liberal of upper class or upper middle class status; including calls for the use of mass transit while frequently using limousines or private jets, claiming environmental consciousness...
- San Francisco valuesSan Francisco values"San Francisco values" is a term often used pejoratively and as an ad hominem phrase to refer to cultural, social and moral attributes associated with the city of San Francisco, California's liberal politics and pluralist culture...
- Massachusetts liberalMassachusetts liberalEastern Massachusetts liberal is a phrase in American politics which is generally used as a political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was most significantly used in the 1988 presidential race by Vice-president George H.W. Bush against...