More prosopography

 In my last post, I noted that although college graduates are vastly over-represented among members of Congress, that was true in the early 1950s as well.  Moreover, the number who are graduates of "elite" colleges and universities hasn't changed much.  So there's not much evidence of a growth of "meritocracy."  However, I mentioned that there were some changes in other respects.  One is a shift in the relation between party and educational background.  In 1952-3:

                               Dem         Rep

Elite universities             10.5%    17.0%                

Elite Colleges                  1.1%     4.1%

Top public                      6.7%     7.8%

Other public flagship           23.6%   17.3%

Other                           47.5%   38.8%

None                            10.5%    15.1%

Republicans were about twice as likely to have attended elite colleges and universities, and somewhat more likely to have attended top public universities.  Among Republicans, the universities with the largest number of alumni were Yale (8), Michigan (8), and Harvard (6); among Democrats, they were Alabama (10), Georgia (8), and North Carolina (8).  In 2016-7:

                                Dem     Rep

Elite universities             23.6%    10.5%   

Elite colleges                  3.3%     1.3%

Top public                      9.4%     8.2%

Other public flagship           9.8%     19.7%

Other colleges & univs.        53.7%     60.2%

None                            0.4%      0%

Now, Democrats are about twice as likely to have attended elite universities and colleges.   Among Republicans, the universities with the largest number of alumni are Harvard (8), Brigham Young (8), and then a tie between LSU, Michigan, and Missouri (all 5); among Democrats, the top ones are Harvard (12), Stanford (11), and Yale (6).  Majorities of both parties went to "other" universities, and there are lots of them,  most of them with only one or two members.  Still, it seems clear that on the average, Democrats went to higher prestige colleges than Republicans.  For example, only two of the 17 who attended colleges in the University of California system are Republicans, but seven of the thirteen who attended colleges in the California State (or California Polytechnic) system are Republicans.  

This difference may help to explain something that's puzzled a number of observers, including me:  why many Republican politicians are fascinated with the idea that the Republicans are the party of the common person and the Democrats are the party of the "elites."