The Liberalism of American Jews – Has It Been Explained?

A CONSIDERABLE LITERATURE HAS BEEN DEVOTED TO EXPLAINING THE POLITICAL LIBERALISM OF AMERICAN JEWS. IN THIS ESSAY, THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT THIS LITERATURE HAS THREE BASIC FLAWS: (1) DESPITE THE APPARENTLY ANOMALOUS CHARACTER OF AMERICAN JEWISH LIBERALISM, MANY OF THE THEORIES RELY ON GENERAL APPROACHES TO EXPLAIN IT; (2) MOST THEORIES ON AMERICAN JEWISH LIBERALISM ARE ADVANCED UNCRITICALLY; (3) A NUMBER OF THE THEORIES ARE ALSO RECEIVED UNCRITICALLY; THEY ARE CITED IN GENERAL DISCUSSIONS OF AMERICAN POLITICAL BEHAVIOR AND ONE OR TWO, BASED ON MARGINALITY OR MINORITY STATUS, HAVE ATTAINED THE STATUS OF CONVENTIONAL WISDOM. THE AUTHOR ARGUES THAT NONE OF THE EXISTING THEORIES CAN WITHSTAND SCRUTINY AND PURSUES A DIFFERENT METHOD.