GSB Political Engagement: Not Exactly 20/20
We say we want to change the world, so let’s not forget politics
When I lived in D.C., I never had to make the case for politics. I wasn’t even the “Politics Person”; I was a “Corporate,” a McKinsey alum and Bay Area native called upon at dinner parties to defend capitalism or offer an inside perspective on the TV show “Silicon Valley.”
But September 2018 was a politically hectic time! I landed at the GSB ready to debate Brett Kavanaugh’s seat on the Supreme Court over drinks at the Nuthouse. I anticipated spending my first weekends here bonding over “get-out-the-vote” calls for the midterm elections. But our orientation week discussions seemed to revolve around speculating who would drop out of our class first, and as for my “get-out-the-vote” aspirations… N120 was booked for beer pong practice. I had merely jumped from one bubble to another, experiencing a contrast in priorities that reminded me why I care about politics as much as I do.
I wanted to understand: how do GSBers feel about politics? We’re ambitious and impact-oriented, we want to run major corporations, investment funds, our own startups… Does politics fit into our plans for changing lives, organizations, and the world?
In order to better understand, I surveyed GSBers. 120 responded.
Students do not prioritize politics. 35% of survey respondents said that the GSB has decreased their political engagement. People most commonly cited the apolitical culture, being too busy, or feeling uncomfortable voicing more conservative perspectives in the classroom and with peers.
Some expressed increased political awareness, but none said they had taken more political action. 26% of students said they were more politically aware since coming to the GSB. People cited taking classes from former politico Keith Hennessey or making politically-oriented friends as primary ways they’ve built more awareness. Some cited the upcoming U.S. election as the most consequential of their lifetime. But nobody mentioned that this has translated into increased political action.
Even among those who engage with politics, student preferences remained at odds with the state’s and the nation’s. On March 3rd, California Democrats chose Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden, with Michael Bloomberg ranking a distant third; yet the top three candidates among GSBers responding to the survey were Bloomberg (29%), Pete Buttigieg (23%), who dropped out before the vote, and Elizabeth Warren (18%), who dropped out shortly after. Only 3% supported Sanders, a top-two candidate in national polls, and only 8% supported Donald Trump, whose approval rating nationally stands at 43%. The “GSBubble” is real.
GSBers don’t think politics affects their lives. Only 11% selected their preferred president based on the impact of their policies on their own lives. Students cared much more about electability and how the candidate’s policies will affect others.
Yet politics does affect our lives. Many of us will graduate with student debt; some candidates advocate for canceling it. On average, we will make 4x the median household income; the amount of that we keep will be dictated by tax policy. Some of us will work in Big Tech, and these companies could be broken up by certain candidates’ proposals. And for those of us planning on launching our own companies, access to affordable health care will be a challenge.
We need to make GSB a more politics-friendly community. We should work with our Diversity Committee to create more spaces that let us engage across ideological differences. We should help our professors cover topics like education and healthcare innovation with an eye towards how to fix the entire system, not exploit a broken one. We should bring the empathy honed in Touchy Feely into our classrooms, celebrating diverse perspectives instead of being judgmental or defensive. And our solutions to big problems that arise in society should involve more than “increased business innovation”; we shouldn’t throw away political change as a tool for improving our society.
We can also take small steps to get more politically involved. My one-off political engagements have been some of my most enriching experiences. While talking to voters about Elizabeth Warren at the California Avenue Farmers’ Market, I spoke with a Stanford professor who argued that the most important quality candidates possess is the ability to build coalitions. While knocking on doors in Iowa, I was deeply impressed with how seriously Iowans took their civic duty as “first in the nation” voters. When I got back to California, and people were calling the Iowa caucus a disaster, I was able to offer a different take. From having thousands of people hang up on me while phone banking, I am much kinder toward those who call me asking for money and much bolder in cold emailing for job opportunities.
If you’re still not convinced that politics is important, embrace the GSB spirit of “learning by doing.” In the same way you might apply to Startup Garage just to further explore mental health, spend just one hour talking to voters at the Farmers’ Market, knocking on some doors, or making phone calls for a candidate. These conversations with strangers about what matters to them can expand your perspective.
Politics matters. Policies impact how much money we have, how healthy we are, what our planet looks like. Regulations can make or break the success of our companies. And our politicians serve as proxies for our country’s character and values. Get involved.
