Political Bias in Universities

I have often heard that Universities are insidious places where liberal professors brainwash students into believing only in the liberal perspective. The theory goes that professors are usually hired only because they are liberal, and that these professors go one to subvert the minds of you students and bend them away from the "conservative" perspective. Of course, this would have to mean that the students are not only brainwashed when it comes to social issues, but also economic issues. On August 5th, Inside Higher Ed attempted to get at this issue of political bias in an article linked here. However, Higher Ed moved to discuss how the academy is usually inept or unwilling to examine its own climate while it turns its attention to institutions outside of itself. I don't take issue with that point, but I am instead disappointed that we did not see a much more in depth perspective on politics inside undergraduate institutions.

Professors, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff all have political views formed when they arrive to any university. This is the inescapable result of the maxim "opinions are like belly buttons; everyone has one." But the question is, do these university members actively brainwash students towards a liberal position? Having gone to college, I have a hard time seeing how. No professor ever mocked a student's political position in front of me- even when they were horribly unsubstantiated by evidence. Even in working with professors in the political science department, no political platform was ever formed and espoused by the professor. Robert A. Pape, for example, talked at length about the theoretical issues and hypothesis behind suicide terrorism, but he never repeated any political stance held by either major U.S. party. He did not take a stand on what the military's budget should be, how it should be raised, or any such talking point. To this day, I don't know if Pape is a democrat, republican, independent, or apolitical spectre haunting the University of Chicago.

I bring this up to illustrate that political views are not always widely broadcasted by professors. I'm certain a counter anecdote can certainly be brought up to nullify my statement above, but I would argue that a professor who exposes their political views before a class of undergraduates risks losing credibility with his or her students. If a professor exposes something along the lines of "republicans are all idiots, under-educated and woefully inept on issues facing this country" he or she can turn off students who come from conservative backgrounds and thus failing at his or her job. This is not to say that some professors harbor no such feelings, I'm certain some do, but that such positions are highly risky in a classroom setting.

At the same time, I have had great difficulty arriving at a conclusion about what professors of any discipline should have to say about politics. This question is perhaps more relevant to members of the social sciences than it is to the hard sciences in some respects. Professors are expected to be experts in their fields, and could potentially inform policy makers and publics alike on issues pertinent to the political discourse of the day. But should academics choose to come down on a side during any debate, do they not immediately fall subject to the rhetoric of the opposing side? This is a question of courage for the academic who chooses to speak up. He or she will have to face the inevitable onslaught of vitriolic rhetoric that is so common today.

It should also be mentioned that the notion of the academy being nothing but liberals is difficult for me to wrap my head around. My alma mater, for example, is home to the Chicago School of Economics- one of the juggernauts of fiscal conservatism of the twentieth century. The modern father of free-market economics, Milton Freedman, called Chicago home during his formative years. And many professors I have met have not fallen in line with what most people would call "liberal." Perhaps this is what is at issue. Being liberal when it comes to social issues is certainly pervasive at universities- but I believe that comes with a function of being educated to think critically and broadly. As soon as this occurs, there is a tendency to categorize someone as being a "liberal." But there are so many other factors that make up someone's political views. Members of philosophy departments are certainly not going to have the exact same political philosophies. They may all be seen as being 'liberal' but may have some views that don't fall into line with that political label.

Politics during my undergraduate education were at once ubiquitous and obscured. I can't say I was brainwashed (how would I know?) but I can also say that I never really had a political discussion with any of my professors. I'm sure there will be the argument that such brainwashing occurs under the radar, in a highly esoteric fashion. But this is such a sign of disrespect to the students who are attaining a college education. To believe they can be so easily persuaded with some sort of jedi-mind trick is insulting to the students themselves. I know that these views are commonly held in tandem with anti-intellectualism, but at the core is a serious misunderstanding of how politics in university settings (at least with undergraduates) works.

If I ever hope to teach, this is certainly something I will have to come to terms with. There are injustices that I don't think anyone should be silent about, but sometimes these injustices are perceived only through particular lenses. At the same time, the goal of educating undergraduates should be, I believe, to influence students to think laterally irrespective of whatever they hope to do after graduation. It is not to transmit a particular set of doctrine, but to instill critical thinking. Of course, no matter what I do I'll still be the liberal academic hippy in the ivory tower who is so removed from reality its not even funny.