Events

Adam Thal, Loyola Marymount University
Race, Ideology, and the Politics of Higher Education

Public universities have been referred to as “America’s best idea” and “a crowning achievement of our democracy.” Yet in recent years these institutions have come under attack, particularly in conservative states where policymakers have curtailed academic freedom and state funding at some of the nation’s best public universities. I explore some of the potential reasons why white conservative voters might support these attacks. I focus on the competing roles of ideology and race. An ideological explanation suggests that white conservatives support attacks on public universities because they are perceived as liberal institutions that benefit the Democratic party. By contrast, a racial explanation suggests this support is motivated not by a general concern about liberal ideology, but by a more specific concern about how these institutions are working to address racism. I test these competing explanations in two survey experiments, including one where participants make hypothetical decisions about what kinds of faculty to hire at their state’s elite public university. I find that white conservatives’ support for attacks on public universities is motivated more by concern over faculty teaching about race than it is by concern over faculty being “liberal” in general. Additional evidence suggests that white conservatives’ views are at odds with those of most Americans, who support faculty working to understand and address racism.

Zoom link

The Tuesday Talks Series is scheduled throughout each semester with speakers invited to discuss cutting-edge topics. Occasionally talks are given on subjects relevant to students such as career management and research. CGU and Claremont Colleges Consortium faculty, students, staff, and alumni are encouraged to attend.

Unless otherwise announced, all seminars are scheduled from 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm. The format for the talks this semester is hybrid, with the option to attend in person at Burkle 12 or online via Zoom. Please use the Zoom links below to register for that talk. For those attending in person, a light lunch will be provided!