in state politics, they were strong supporters of state colleges and universities, low tuition and large research budgets. they favored infrastructure improvements, such as highway projects. in foreign policy they were internationalists and anti-communists. they felt the best way to counter communism was sponsoring economic growth (through foreign aid), maintaining a strong military and keeping close ties to nato. geographically their base was the northeast, from maine to pennsylvania, where they had the support of major corporations and banks and worked well with labor unions.