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Massachusetts liberal

Massachusetts liberal is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Massachusetts liberal rather than just read about it. In short: Massachusetts liberal is a phrase in American politics which is generally used as a derogatory political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was most significantly used in the 1988 presidential race by then–Vice President George H.

Massachusetts liberal — main illustration
Massachusetts liberal — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Massachusetts liberal belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Massachusetts liberal to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Massachusetts liberal from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Massachusetts liberal is a phrase in American politics which is generally used as a derogatory political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was most significantly used in the 1988 presidential race by then–Vice President George H. W. Bush against Governor Michael Dukakis, and again in the 2004 presidential race by then–President George W. Bush against Senator John Kerry (who had been Dukakis's lieutenant governor). The Democratic presidential candidates (Dukakis, Kerry) lost both presidential races. In the Republican 2012 presidential primary election, Newt Gingrich used the phrase "Massachusetts moderate," based on the liberal pejorative, repeatedly against Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, whose main residence was a mansion in the state. Romney went on to win the nomination, but lost the presidential election. Massachusetts is one of the most liberal and Democratic-leaning states in the country. It was the first state where same-sex marriage became legal in 2004. It has the highest percentage of adults with college degrees of any state in the country.

Meanings of the phrase

The idea behind the usage of the phrase is that the state of Massachusetts is "against the mainstream" in comparison to other states. Jane Elmes-Crahall, a professor who studies political rhetoric, has said, in swing and red states, "It [the phrase] still signals the antithesis of their [swing- and red-state] social and economic values." Hence, it is believed, voters in these states are unlikely to support a Democratic nominee that they believe to be a "Massachusetts liberal." There are several specific ideologies that are implied in the phrase:

Being "soft on crime"; specifically, an example of this was the infamous Willie Horton incident, which was referenced by George H. W. Bush's presidential campaign against Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis in 1988. Willie Horton was a convicted murderer who raped a woman while on a furlough granted under Dukakis' administration. Alleged support for higher taxes. Among some, the state has a reputation for high taxes (6.25% sales tax, 5.05% income tax), and some refer to it as "Taxachusetts." Support for anti-war ideas. This particular inference comes from the 1972 presidential election, when Massachusetts was the only state where anti-war Senator George McGovern defeated President Richard Nixon. In more recent times, such as during the 2004 presidential race, the term also references the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.

See also Liberal elite Politics of Massachusetts San Francisco values

References

Illustrations

Massachusetts liberal: Percent of self-identified liberals by state in 2018, according to a Gallup poll. Massachusetts had one of the highest percentages.[1].mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}  32% and above  28–31%  24–27%  20–23%  16–19%  15% and under
Percent of self-identified liberals by state in 2018, according to a Gallup poll. Massachusetts had one of the highest percentages.[1].mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}  32% and above  28–31%  24–27%  20–23%  16–19%  15% and under
Massachusetts liberal: The 1972 Presidential election results; Massachusetts was the only state to vote for Democrat George McGovern[7]
The 1972 Presidential election results; Massachusetts was the only state to vote for Democrat George McGovern[7]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Massachusetts liberal

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Massachusetts liberal claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Massachusetts liberal before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Massachusetts liberal ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Massachusetts liberal

In research
Massachusetts liberal appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Massachusetts liberal in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Massachusetts liberal is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Liberalism in the United States, Metaphors referring to places, Political metaphors referring to people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Massachusetts liberal outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study Massachusetts liberal in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Massachusetts liberal means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Massachusetts liberal out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Massachusetts liberal in simple terms?

Massachusetts liberal is a phrase in American politics which is generally used as a derogatory political epithet by Republicans against Democrats who are from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It was most significantly used in the 1988 presidential race by then–Vice President George H.

Why does Massachusetts liberal matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Massachusetts liberal?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Massachusetts liberal.

Tags

  • Liberalism in the United States
  • Metaphors referring to places
  • Political metaphors referring to people
  • Political terminology of the United States
  • Politics of Massachusetts

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