'Libertarian but Very Pro-Government': The Distinctive Ideology of Silicon Valley Democrats

During his time as a writer for the popular Silicon Valley blog TechCrunch, Greg Ferenstein developed relationships with some of Silicon Valley’s wealthiest and most influential figures. Since he left the site two years ago, he has embarked on an intensive study of the political views of Silicon Valley’s elite.

He surveyed both Silicon Valley elites and members of the general public to determine what topics they agree and disagree on. We published some of Ferenstein’s findings back in September, and since then he’s fleshed out his viewed at greater length in an e-book.

If you’re used to thinking about politics along conventional left-right lines, the Silicon Valley ideology Ferenstein sketches might initially seem like a mass of contradictions — it’s simultaneously anti-regulation and pro-government, libertarian and pro-Obamacare. But Ferenstein argues that these views start to seem more coherent once you understand the unique perspective of technology elites.

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This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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