Elite Campuses Shape Economic Policy Preferences Among Students

College Socialization: Elite campuses foster conservative economic views through financial gain norms.

Key Findings:

• Affluent students develop economically conservative preferences during college;
• Campus environment influences these attitudes regardless of socioeconomic background;
• Peer cohort matters independently from affluence level;

Robustness Checks:

✓ Demonstrated with matching techniques

✓ Confirmed among students with limited school options

✓ Validated in natural experiments and placebo tests

Real-World Relevance: This study explains why educated Americans often support conservative economic policies.