Burnt Orange Report

The conservatives' evidence of liberal universities is either anecdotal or Harvard. They pluck stories of supposed liberal faculty from the newswire (which I think feeds that known readership).

For a party associated with "intelligent design" crowds and an administration that disregards scientific evidence, it's clear that the Republicans have a bias against research, science, and anything resembling education.

Well, we are still waiting for the until now hidden right wing brain trust to burst forth and render left wing academics stunned and humbled. Untill the floodgates of right wing academics open up I guess the high ground still belongs to us. Word to the wise: do not hold your breath waiting for this deluge of wingnut academics, they simply aren't there. Met any? I thought not.

I for one buy at least part of the argument that the academic world/lifestyle will generally attract more "liberal" types. Think it is hard to argue that there is not a liberal bias in academia though, but at least most are up front about it. The conservative intellectual movement has found more refuge in think tanks. Saw someone write the other day that this is essentially the same argument Summers made about women in academia. Slightly different reaction from the Left though.

Paul Krugman recently did a nice analysis of this issue, attributing any leftward tilt to self-selection and to value-based choices, particularly the GOP's hostility to science and science-based policies: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/05/opinion/05krugman.html?n=Top%2fOpinion%2fEditorials%20and%20Op%2dEd%2fOp%2dEd%2fColumnists

We can also interpret this data as students have become more savvy in their political leanings, and as such have overcome the inherent liberal bias they are exposed to from their professors.

This story illustrates some delicious hipocrisy from the left - follow the rabbit: Political equality in acedemia isn't a problem...even if it were a problem it's not affecting the CHILDREN!...even if it is affecting them, you can't PROVE it!

Why is the left selective about the equality and inclusivness they support? EVEN IF political equality in academia was an imagined problem, wouldn't the left support equality on it's face without question? Or is the left's equality reserved for its voters only?

Webhorn: But we'd assume your hypothesis only if there was some reason to believe saavy has increased.

In fact, I think the evidence is strong that the average American has not gotten brighter over the last 30 years. And certainly not the pool of college students, since colleges are less selective than they use to be.

Moreover, if there is no effect on students, then the argument for "political equality" (affirmative action for Republicans) is essentially employment-assistance for the over-educated.

This is in no way an elitist policy!

Universities have held themselves up as the marketplace of ideas and have argued that diversity is needed in order fulfill their mission. I've always assumed that when they said diversity they meant a color scheme that met with their satisfaction and not actual diversity.