Scientists whose living depends on tax-funded grants are indeed selected to favor big government — both because they want to keep the grant-deciders happy, and because those who feel that tax funding of science is morally wrong will tend not to look for or take those jobs.

Meanwhile, there is a strong correlation between one’s view of economics and one’s political leanings. Modern economics (the Austrian and Chicago schools) gives a better understanding of how a huge government budget drags down the entire economy than does the discredited Keynesian school, so those who understand the modern kind of econ almost always become conservatives or libertarians.

As a corollary, I suggest that a survey of scientists broad enough to include a lot of scientists who work for private, non-tax-funded organizations will tend to find a more balanced spectrum of political views than one which concentrates on government institutions and the “university-agency complex”.

I think it is the latter. As Stephen Colbert says “Facts seem to have a liberal bias”

If you look at almost any scientific issue today, its the conservatives who are mounting challenges to established scientific thought. They are simply sitting back and saying “Nuh Uh” They are looking at the work done and denying rather than doing the work themselves, they are intellectually LAZY as a rule.

Science is far from perfect but I have much more respect for the humility that is built into the scientific method than the arrogance with which most conservatives look at the world. How can any thinking man buy into any of the modern American conservative movements poor excuse for a well reasoned, well thought out platform?

The public would consider scientists to be less authoritative as a neutral source on policy questions

Well, now, wait a minute. If everyone can accept that a scientist can be religious without compromising his scientific work, why is it untenable to expect that a scientist can be political without compromising his scientific work?

You are insulting conservatives. And sadly: (1) you don’t even realize it, and (2) you have a lot of company among left-leaning academics. Just take a look at your own words. They are strongly reminiscent of those used in the past to justify black slavery, not letting blacks vote, etc. If you appled your words about conservatives to blacks, while simultaneously applying your words about liberals to whites, you would be rightfully called a racist. Right?