On social issues, friends and colleagues say Summers is solidly progressive. Summers inherited from his parents—two liberal economists—a faith in the beneficial power of government, especially with regard to helping the poor.

It was only on fiscal matters that Summers’ brand of liberalism took on more centrist tones.

Friends say he was a prototypical “New Democrat,” melding fiscal discipline with typical liberal goals.

“I think that he is a centrist Democrat who combines a market approach and a rigorous economic skepticism with essentially progressive beliefs,” says Gene Sperling, former director of the National Economic Council.

Summers’ professional pedigree shows signs of this centrist bent.

Trained under Baker Professor of Economics Martin S. Feldstein ’61, Summers adopted many of his market-oriented approaches. But Summers did not fully embrace Feldstein’s views—particularly recoiling from Reaganesque supply-side policies.

Summers’ perspective ultimately was deemed liberal enough to join the Dukakis campaign for President as a top economic advisor.

At the Treasury Department, Summers found himself at the center of a centrist administration, preaching the gospel of balanced budgets while pointing to the benefits of government action where it would be effective.

Summers came to Harvard with the scars of a veteran of the administration that conservatives loved to hate and solidly progressive credentials. His centrist leanings were largely unrelated to the conservative critiques of Harvard.

Wishful Thinking

Former and current colleagues say that the hopeful voices from the Right misread Summers’ moves.

Summers’ statements on the value of patriotism were unambiguous, and when pushed for further comment, he reiterates that he felt there was a need to mend a gap between “Eastern coastal elites” and the rest of the country.

But still, his speech urging greater patriotism in acedemia also included a shot at conservatives. Summers criticized those conservatives who argue against the value of government.

On revising the University’s relationship with ROTC, Faculty observers stressed that conservatives may have read Summers statements too definitively.

They point out that Summers has never expressed any desire to change Harvard’s policy on this issue, and had only urged the community to respect those choosing military service.