Does Their Subject of Study Influence the Political Leanings of Students?

Does their subject of study influence the political attitudes of students? To decouple self-selection effects from learning effects, initial analyses focus on whether the subjects chosen by first-year students correlate with their political leanings. In a second step the authors analyse how students' political attitudes change over the course of their studies. The results, which are based on a survey of German students with a sample size that far exceeds that of comparable student surveys, reveals systematic differences in the political leanings of students in eight different subjects. These differences can be ascribed to self-selection in most cases. Economic sciences are an exception to this rule. Even if self-selection plays an important role, academic training in economic sciences has a clear influence over political opinions. By the time that they complete their studies, economics students are 6.2 percent more likely to agree with a liberal policy position than when they begin their higher education.