SOCI 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Gay Liberation, French Revolution, Anti-Clericalism
3 May 2018
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SOCI 227 – Jews in North America
Jewish Politics – April 9th
Readings: Chapter 9, Weinfeld, Cohen
Jewish Politics
• Looking at voting in both countries, politics, activism, and general social and political
attitudes
• Jews in the public
• Ethnic politics in Canada – English vs. French, multiculturalism, recognition of the
importance of ethnic and minority voting
• How immigrants participate in the political systems
• Primarily political science field
Jews in the public square
• How jews behave in public life
• Lobbying, interactions with government, everything that is not private life
• Policy issues
o Quebec and Canada – reasonable accommodation
Liberalism
• Historically Jews have been and still are a force for liberalism
• Left side of the political spectrum
o In comparison to other groups
Why is this?
• In EU, post-emancipation one triumph for liberalism = separation of church and state
o Fairly complete in the US, less in Canada
o Ex. England, Jewish and Muslim schools get state funding
o Lots of this goes back to the modern revolution
o French revolution – elimination of the power of the Catholic church in France
was a huge aspect
• Most Anti-Semitism encountered by Jews in Europe was on the right
o Landowners, wealthy capitalists, etc. were all elements of the right and very
conservative
o Source of anti-Semitism was on the right
o Then the Jews become anti-clerical, they want the separation of church and
state to live as they please
Subject of Debate: are the Jews in North America still on the left?
• Are they moving to the right and becoming conservative in their politics?
• This is a crucial question to act
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Lots of US data with regards to presidential voting patterns, Pew reports can help
answer or begin to answer this question
• US vote has historically been democratic since the 1930s in the United States, starting
with Franklin Roosevelt
• Jews have this gap where they continue to vote democrat
• US 2016 election 24% of Jews voted for Donald Trump
o By far the lowest among any white group in the United States
o The jews who did support tended to be a bit more religious and orthodox
o Only Blacks and Latinos were less likely to support trump
• This has been true for more or less every election
• Pew data from 2013
o 70% Jews are democratic, 49% in the general public
o 22% are republican, 39% in general public
o 49% of Jews think they are liberal, only 21% of American public
o 19% of Jews think they are conservative, 38% of American public
o Jews views of homosexuality
▪ 82% say it should be accepted in society
▪ 13% say it should be discouraged
▪ American general public growing support, 57% accepted, 36%
discouraged
• Large vocal groups that discourage or are opposed to gay rights
• Most liberal, etc.
o Size of government:
▪ 54% of Jewish community prefer a bigger government
▪ General public – only 40%
• Comes back to Jews support of democracy and the democratic
parties
• Seeing government as a solution to problems
▪ This all goes back to FDR
▪ Many thought Roosevelt was Jewish, was not but was the iconic figure of
Jews
▪ They worshiped at his feet
• Outlier community in terms of American politics
Canada not much data
• One very good poll for data in 2011, 52% of Jews voted conservative
o Represented a much higher Jewish support than for any Republican president
o This is an extremely strong vote for their party
• Might have voted for Harper because he was very pro-Israel
US enormous literature on when or should the Jews move to the right wing?
• When in terms of voting and politics are they finally going to move?
• The other debate is whether or not it should happen
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• Debate been going on for 40 years
• Aeria aalsts’ patters ad sholars
o When is it going to change and narrow?
• Jes ear lots ad ote like Latios or Blaks
o we know that when people become wealthier, they usually tend to vote for the
conservative parties
What is behind this unexpected behavior?
2 explanations from the literature
• 1. Culture
o Bible and the welfare state
o Passover – almost the entire biblical story
o Foundations of the modern welfare state can be traced back to the Bible; they
were commanded to look after others
o Message of the prophets – more universalistic than the Bible and about doing
the right thing, etc. having a just society
▪ Message is often assumed to be creating a just society
o Torah – the key commandment is to pursue justice and create a just society on
earth
▪ i.e. the Welfare state
▪ Creating institutions to look after one another
o Talmud
▪ It’s jurisprudee, a ook of la, ad a eaple of usig reaso, logi,
and debate to solve problems
▪ Rationally and debating problems
o These arguments can be used to explain this behavior
o Problem with this argument
▪ If Judaism is the key to this progressive welfare states with liberal
support, then would you expect that those more religious jews or those
there are ore orthodox
• Not curacy of gender equality civil rights, religion, etc.
o 2. Social Structural
▪ Education – jews tend to be highly educated, more and more coming
from approach
• Jews have high levels of education and expectations
▪ Urban – living in urban environments
▪ Anti-Semitism, also tactical, reducing income and gaps lead to socials
• American anti-Semitism has been and still is largely on the right
▪ Across the board, we see this evangelical approach
▪ Nothing to do with religion, these are social structural explanations
▪ What does the welfare state do? Tax the rich and give money to the poor
• Do’t at to pa a ore taes
▪ Arguments:
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
