For their part, conservative students are more likely to say that racial, ethnic and sexual identity minorities are respected on campus than are liberal students.

For example: 73 percent of conservatives said transgender students are somewhat or extremely respected, compared to 47 percent of liberals. That split is 80 percent versus 44 percent regarding respect for African-American students, 79 percent compared to 47 percent for Latino students and 76 percent versus 52 percent for Asian students.

Conversely, liberal students are more likely to say that white students are respected, 94 percent, than are conservatives, 85 percent.

More conservative students also see Jewish and Muslim students as treated respectfully than do liberal students. But they’re less likely to say Christian students are usually treated with respect – 78 percent compared to 88 percent of liberals.

Perhaps because of a more widely held perception that underrepresented groups already are treated with respect, conservative students place a lower value on an institutional commitment to diversity than do liberal students.

At 70 percent, conservative students are more likely than liberal students, 39 percent, to say that UW-Madison is “very or extremely” committed to diversity. Only 45 percent of conservative students ranked a commitment to diversity as very or extremely important, compared to 85 percent of liberals.

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