Silicon Valley is Eating the Democratic Party

The West Coast tech community has sometimes been characterized as a fortress of libertarian-leaning free marketeers, but the reality is far more complicated — and far less “Atlas Shrugged” — than many critics and supporters would have us believe. Although a stream of libertarianism permeates the Valley, it only selectively penetrates the cultural ethos. Randian prime movers are lauded, entrepreneurs pay reverence to Schumpeterian creative destruction, and an ever-present optimism that technology can cure what ails the world abounds in abundance. At the same time, there is a belief that government can be a force for good, bringing out the best in citizens by investing in their potential — what the World Values Survey (WVS) referred to as the aforementioned “civic form of modern individualism.” Failing to recognize this is why so many on the right (see: Rand Paul) have repeatedly failed to successfully court Valley donors, and why the region remains staunchly blue in its voting record and contributions.