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| | The liberal quotient is defined simply as the ratio of liberals to conservatives in a group. Thus the liberal quotient is zero when there are no liberals in the group. | | The liberal quotient is defined simply as the ratio of liberals to conservatives in a group. Thus the liberal quotient is zero when there are no liberals in the group. |
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| | Mathematically Expressed When X is the number of liberals and Y is the number of conservatives and Z is the the quotient: | | Mathematically Expressed When X is the number of liberals and Y is the number of conservatives and Z is the the quotient: |
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| | Therefore a group with 2 liberals and 2 conservatives has a liberal quotient of 1 (2/2=1). | | Therefore a group with 2 liberals and 2 conservatives has a liberal quotient of 1 (2/2=1). |
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| − | Likewise, Wikipedia, which has a Liberal Quotient of 6, means that there are 6 liberals on Wikipedia for every conservative. | + | Likewise, Wikipedia, which has a Liberal Quotient of 3, means that there are 3 liberals on Wikipedia for every conservative. The American public has a liberal quotient of 1/2. |
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| | Groups having a high liberal quotient would include university faculties, the National Education Association, the leadership of the Democratic Party, the management of the ''Village Voice'' and ''New York Times'', and the leaders of the [[ACLU]]. Groups having a low liberal quotient would include a trade association of small business owners, an association of Christian athletes, and worshipers at church on an ordinary Sunday. | | Groups having a high liberal quotient would include university faculties, the National Education Association, the leadership of the Democratic Party, the management of the ''Village Voice'' and ''New York Times'', and the leaders of the [[ACLU]]. Groups having a low liberal quotient would include a trade association of small business owners, an association of Christian athletes, and worshipers at church on an ordinary Sunday. |
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| | + | == Comparison to Other Metrics == |
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| | + | While some liberals oppose any measurement of their influence, others have proposed different metrics. One alternative proposal of a liberal quotient is the percentage of liberals in a population or group: |
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| | + | X/(X+Y) = Z |
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| | + | This metric, however, limits itself to a range between 0 and 1. It also fails to distinguish between conservatives and moderates. For example, this metric yields the same result if there are 50 liberals and 50 moderates and if there are 50 liberals and 50 conservatives, even though the two groups have very different political biases. |
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| | [[Category:Politics]] | | [[Category:Politics]] |