A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.

Leaders in Silicon Valley lean to the political left. Except on these two issues

24%

Only 24% of founders and leaders of technology companies in Silicon Valley support libertarianism.

Published   |  Photo by AP Photo/Noah Berger
A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.
24%

Many are more aligned with the political left and the Democratic party.

A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.
24%

They support the opening of borders for people and products, more taxes on the rich, and the redistribution of wealth. They care about income inequality and environmental protection.

A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.
24%

But they diverge from Democrats on two essential issues: only 18% support regulations and only 24% support unions.

A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.
24%

Political views of techies and Democrats

A man walks past the Oracle office in Redwood Shores, Calif., Monday, Dec. 13, 2004.
24%

What is probably behind those numbers is the idea that strong labor rights and regulatory interference might stop startups from being agile and creative.

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