Who says Colleges and Universities are not liberal biased

From The Washington Post, Style Section. If the Post said it, it must be true.


College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds


By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, March 29, 2005; Page C01




College faculties, long assumed to be a liberal bastion, lean further to the left than even the most conspiratorial conservatives might have imagined, a new study says.
By their own description, 72 percent of those teaching at American universities and colleges are liberal and 15 percent are conservative, says the study being published this week. The imbalance is almost as striking in partisan terms, with 50 percent of the faculty members surveyed identifying themselves as Democrats and 11 percent as Republicans.
The disparity is even more pronounced at the most elite schools, where, according to the study, 87 percent of faculty are liberal and 13 percent are conservative.

"What's most striking is how few conservatives there are in any field," said Robert Lichter, a professor at George Mason University and a co-author of the study. "There was no field we studied in which there were more conservatives than liberals or more Republicans than Democrats. It's a very homogenous environment, not just in the places you'd expect to be dominated by liberals."
Religious services take a back seat for many faculty members, with 51 percent saying they rarely or never attend church or synagogue and 31 percent calling themselves regular churchgoers. On the gender front, 72 percent of the full-time faculty are male and 28 percent female.
The findings, by Lichter and fellow political science professors Stanley Rothman of Smith College and Neil Nevitte of the University of Toronto, are based on a survey of 1,643 full-time faculty at 183 four-year schools. The researchers relied on 1999 data from the North American Academic Study Survey, the most recent comprehensive data available.
The study appears in the March issue of the Forum, an online political science journal. It was funded by the Randolph Foundation, a right-leaning group that has given grants to such conservative organizations as the Independent Women's Forum and Americans for Tax Reform.
Rothman sees the findings as evidence of "possible discrimination" against conservatives in hiring and promotion. Even after factoring in levels of achievement, as measured by published work and organization memberships, "the most likely conclusion" is that "being conservative counts against you," he said. "It doesn't surprise me, because I've observed it happening." The study, however, describes this finding as "preliminary."



... more at linked article

I note that in reading through the article, the article writer had to take time to point out that the study was funded by "a right leaning group", which obviously means that the study must be flawed and can't be accurate. As usual, the Post is up to their normal level of trying to be biased without actually acknowledging that they are. At least most of the people that answered the survey willingly admit to their own biases. Gotta love the main stream media.
11,246 views 44 replies
Reply #1 Top
Damn, I knew Universities leaned left but...damn not so left that they are about to fall over on their side.

Great find, terp.

- Grim X
Reply #2 Top
no one with 1/2 a brain would say our schools of higher learning are anything BUT LEFT leaning.
Reply #3 Top
It has been said that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

When you allow a professor unquestioned freedom to control his or her classroom, power to teach what they want, power over the grades the students get, and then grant them tenure, where they answer to no one anymore.... you get corruption.

Our institutions of higher learning have become cesspools of bigotry, closed mindedness and "if you think differently than I do, I will fail you" fascism.

The worst part of it all, not only are our tax dollars going to feed into this swill, they have set up a reality where, if you are against them, you are against "education".

No wonder losers like Ward Churchhill get so worked up when the rest of us question their words. They aren't used to being questioned at all.
Reply #4 Top
No wonder losers like Ward Churchhill


don't get me started............ I must chill, I must chill< I must chill.



frack it

STARVE A LIBERAL FOR A BETTER AMERICA.......... bwahahahaha I am mad , mad I tell yaaaaaaaaaaaa
Reply #5 Top
Just to wind Moderateman up ...
It's hardly surprising that colleges and universities are liberal biased. In fact, it goes with the territory - knowledge, learning and understanding.
Thank you, and good night.
Reply #6 Top
I recently read an article in a newspaper (not on JU) about "Protect your children from liberals in College" and I had to laugh. I have a good way, don't go to college. At least not mine. And please, don't send your children to my class and have them refuse to read Shakespeare because there is sexual imagery or Blake because he says everything is holy, body, soul and mind and that you‘ll never get to Heaven as a Virgin. And stay the heck out of the English department. Please.

When you control education, when you tell a teacher what they can teach and how they must grade, you take away the educational experience. I am in a VERY liberal situation at my college. I attend one of the premier Honors Colleges in the nation and not a single professor could be called “Conservative” and only one is even slightly moderate. Norb, our founder, was a Lutheran preacher and left his call because he could not logically explain it. We read the Bible as a mythology, literature and pseudo-history. And yet, I have never been told that my faith is stupid, wrong or that I should try something else for a while. In fact, learning about how Christianity came about and other world religions has made me a better Christian. I ask questions that some people may not like, but I believe it strengthens my faith.

One purpose of college is to have a liberating experience. If that’s not what you want, try a private religious college. I hear those boys at OBU have very conservative experiences while riding the tiger naked and drunk.
Reply #7 Top
Just to wind Moderateman up ...
It's hardly surprising that colleges and universities are liberal biased. In fact, it goes with the territory - knowledge, learning and understanding.
Thank you, and good night.


More like intense detachment from reality, as you've just demonstrated. Colleges and universities provide credentials, not knowledge or intelligence.
Reply #8 Top
not knowledge


What college are you going to? Maybe the students who try to get as little for their dollar are receiving little knowledge, but I know many who have learned wonderful things during their college experience, myself included.
Reply #9 Top
I wonder if the average Gen Ed professor realizes that they will have no more affect on the average student's life than improving their chances of winning in Trivial Pursuit? ;~D

If a professor has spent their entire professional life in academia, what on earth do they know of the world outside academia?
Reply #10 Top
If a professor has spent their entire professional life in academia, what on earth do they know of the world outside academia?


The value of a sunrise. The effects of global warming. How the government really works, and not what you hear on CNN. How to stretch a buck. How to feed a family on very little money a year. How spiritual a Gregorian Chant can actually be. How to fish. How to crochet. How to care for a garden. That though people are more connected through technology, they are seperating themselves into oblivion. I could go on, but why?

But then again, I've been lucky. I haven't had a gen ed yet where I didn't learn something valuable... even if it wasn't about the subject, every teacher teaches something if the student will only listen.
Reply #11 Top
I didn't say that they don't teach anything, I asked what they know about the world outside of academia. From the list you give, most are liberal trash that, of course, a book smart professor would know.

I'm sure many profesors can droll on for hours about how aweful we humans are for the global warming, the terrible government (that pays their salary), and other propaganda (whether backed by CNN or not).

Don't get me wrong, I am neither anti higher education, nor anti professor. What I do question is any system where people have no reason to fear that they could lose their jobs (no matter how incompetent), where they answer to no one and where their word is law, and beyond contestation.

Higher education is supposed to be a bastian of "Free thought" and "Freedom to share ideas". If liberal professors have the idea that conservatives are unthinking, uncaring oafs, where is there room for "freedom of thought and ideas"??
Reply #12 Top
First you call it liberal trash that we should stop killing the world that sustains us and stop acting like parasites... and then say that liberals stiffle thought? Give me a break. The Christian Coalition would ban many good books that are important to anyone who wants a better understanding of the human condtion. "The greatest study of mankind is man."

And I never said that they complain about the government, they just know how it actually works. Ask most people, and they'll think their vote actually counts, when in actuality, the electoral college can elect who they want, despite popular vote. And I'm not sure what education system you are talking about where people don't fear to lose their jobs. Yes, doctors usually have tenure, but even they can lose their jobs, I've seen it happen. Everyone answers to someone, you have curriculum you must teach, there are plenty of departmental tests, student evaluations and no ones word is law... at least that's what I learned from my profs.
Reply #13 Top
'More like intense detachment from reality, as you've just demonstrated. Colleges and universities provide credentials, not knowledge or intelligence.'

1. Colleges and universities don't provide knowledge? I'm with Sugar High Elf on this one; mine certainly did for me. (Perhaps you just didn't make best use of yours, ED.)
2. I never mentioned 'intelligence'. Actually, I spoke of 'knowledge, learning and understanding'. But you go right ahead and refute the non-existent argument anyway. ie. Respond to what you wanted me to have said, not to what I actually did say. Always a good ploy.
Reply #14 Top
First you call it liberal trash that we should stop killing the world that sustains us and stop acting like parasites... and then say that liberals stiffle thought? Give me a break.


How did that statement stifle the thought of anyone? Did I threaten your grade, income, or anything else if you disagreed with me? Nope, I merely wrote an opinion and you responded. Apparently neither of us were stifled here.

The Christian Coalition would ban many good books that are important to anyone who wants a better understanding of the human condtion.


You're right, they would, and they are just as guilty of close-minded, enemies of the freeflow of ideas that is becoming the standard among too many or our institutions of higher learning. The only difference is you defend the right of one side to do it, while vilifying the other.

Ask most people, and they'll think their vote actually counts, when in actuality, the electoral college can elect who they want, despite popular vote.


Only in some states, and that is the Constitutional method of choosing a president. Now are you going to say that you and your professors are anti Constitution? ;~D (don't worry about answering, I meant it to be a bit over-the-top and rhetorical). ;~D
Reply #15 Top
Yes, when you belittle someone's opinion, you stifle them. Everyone stiffles, and I'm not going to say that all liberals are perfect and they do no harm, but I will not listen idly by as someone says that they do all harm and conservatives are perfect either. (Not saying you or anyone else here is saying that exactly, but if you can exagerate, then so can I)

I was just saying that academics can know something of the "real world" though, if you'd like to define that term, you're more than welcome to.

And please, don't pretend that you know me well enough to say I ever defend the right to censure information or knowledge.

And I'm ending my participation for the night with this quote on education:

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." -- Robert Frost

That is what education is and should be.
Reply #16 Top
Those who can't do, teach.

I don't think it is the fact that Universities are selectively picking liberal professors. If 72% of your applicants are liberal, what are you to do? It maybe that Non-liberals have found it more profitable or enjoyable to not go into the higher educational fields. Maybe it is a mind set thing?

Maybe my hypothesis is wrong, because when I finish my twenty years with the military. I plan on using my teaching degree that has taken me 18 years to finally get next semester. But I have also already been offered a research job for more money using my major field, that is very temping. Neither of which I truly needed for cash, due to a good retirement plan and good investments at an early age.

What would you do, take the money/excitement of a research job or enjoy the feeling of being an educator?
Reply #17 Top
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." -- Robert Frost


Awesome quote!! I can think of more than a few educators and administors who need to learn this! Either way, great discussion! G'nite.
Reply #18 Top
Ok, I lied, I'm not going to bed yet.

You may not have been asking me, Lee, but I'm going to answer you. I'm an academic (could you tell?) I will stay in school until I can put Dr. in front of my name, and then I will find a job at a University teaching literature. I could have done anything that makes better money. My father practically begged me to go into Speech Pathology, but that wasn't my calling.

I come from a family of educators from my parents to my brother and sister-in-law, and we have never "suffered" because we didn't have the money to buy nike shoes. I had a better childhood than most if not all of my wealthy friends. So, what am I saying? I would rather do what I like and like what I do than make a lot of money and be miserable. But, if you like what you do and you make a lot of dough, then my congratulations. And now I'm going to bed.
Reply #19 Top
I'm not trying to say that you Sugar High Elf are doing the wrong thing be staying in the Educational field. I am glad to hear that you are really. I find your comments well made, evenly stated and would most likely learn allot in one of your classes.

Maybe I should have quoted the "do/teach" statement, so as not to sound condescending (something I was not trying to be, just making an initial shock).

I just feel that people can be hard wired differently. For those who easily embrace liberal ideas could they be hardwired more to enjoy teaching or being a social worker. While those who don't embrace liberal ideas, may they enjoy building companies or researching vaccines. Why is business executives more conservative then business professors?

I know my hypothesis maybe over simplifying the matter, but how many of those graduating from any particular profession are going into teaching strait out of collage, because they are hardwired to do so?

But, if you like what you do and you make a lot of dough, then my congratulations.


Personnely like I said before, I don't really need the money. The real question is what I feel is more enjoyable: A) Teaching the youth. B) Measuring the clearity and make up of the water in Lake Tahoe.
Reply #20 Top
What college are you going to? Maybe the students who try to get as little for their dollar are receiving little knowledge, but I know many who have learned wonderful things during their college experience, myself included.


I graduated from college 13 years ago with bachelors degrees in history and linguistics in eight semesters and a final cumulative gpa of 3.94/4.00. So what? What the hell do the credentials mean? My good friend back then also graduated in linguistics with a far lower gpa, in only that major I might add. I think it was a 2.8 or 2.9. He is far more knowledgeable than I am on the subject.

I worked as a teaching assistant my senior year for a history professor whose material was left-wing propaganda that might as well have been written by chairman Mao. Far too many subjects, taught by far too many professors, are nothing more than propaganda mills, especially in the humanities departments. Anthropology, history, sociology-these aren't taught from wholly factual standpoints. They pic and choose what facts they wish to present, and if certain facts don't fit their agenda, they are quietly brushed aside or vigorously defamed. Why do you think Larry Summer's statements caused an uproar? And now colleges all over are forcing their students to take bullshit multicultural classes in order to teach them the "correct" way of thinking.

1. Colleges and universities don't provide knowledge? I'm with Sugar High Elf on this one; mine certainly did for me. (Perhaps you just didn't make best use of yours, ED.


I make a high 5-figure annual income in an area with a very low cost of living, and my retirement is very secure, as of March 28th, my 35th birthday. My college experience consisted of reading from a book the professor wrote and taking a test on it. If I had to guess, 60% of what I really learned during my college years was done on my own, reading books from the library and having debates with my friends and classmates outside the classroom. Fortunately school was a quite a bit cheaper between 1988 and 1992.

2. I never mentioned 'intelligence'. Actually, I spoke of 'knowledge, learning and understanding'. But you go right ahead and refute the non-existent argument anyway. ie. Respond to what you wanted me to have said, not to what I actually did say. Always a good ploy.


I know what you said. My comment was addressed to all who read what you said; those who believe like you, or those who may come to erroneous conclusion that left-wing ideology is correct because academics are intelligent, and these intelligent people are left-wingers. You know, people who think W. is an idiot because he got a 1250 on his SAT or a C average at Yale. People who think Noam Chomsky knows what he's talking about because he's a prominent professor at a big name university. People like the old history professor I worked for as a TA who flat out told me I should raise my concerns about what and how he was teaching when I got my Ph.D.

Unless you're studying something like mathematics, the college experience is about politics rather than factual exercise and a quest for truth.
Reply #21 Top
'If I had to guess, 60% of what I really learned during my college years was done on my own, reading books from the library and having debates with my friends and classmates outside the classroom.'
So you DID acquire knowledge at college, ED! And that was my point.

'I know what you said. My comment was addressed to all who read what you said; those who believe like you, or those who may come to erroneous conclusion that left-wing ideology is correct because academics are intelligent, and these intelligent people are left-wingers.'
You may know what I said, but you take absolutely no notice of it. I never said any of this, and - I repeat - I never mentioned 'intelligence'. Once again, you create a completely fictitious argument, assign it to me and then - hurrah! - you attempt to knock it down. Well done you. Full marks for sticking with your strategy, but whom do you actually hope to impress by this kind of stunt? Surely nobody intelligent. (Whoops, now I've gone and said it.)
Reply #22 Top
I never said any of this, and - I repeat - I never mentioned 'intelligence'. Once again, you create a completely fictitious argument, assign it to me and then - hurrah! - you attempt to knock it down.


Where exactly did I accuse you of using the word intelligence? Please, quote me. I never said you said any of this, and - I repeat - I never said you mentioned 'intelligence'. Once again, you create a completely fictitious argument, assign it to me and then - hurrah! - you attempt to knock it down. Well done you.

So you DID acquire knowledge at college, ED! And that was my point.


Yeah. I learned a lot. I learned how full of shit a lot of professors are. I learned how full of themselves a lot of them are, too. I learned one side of pretty much every story ever told, and had to take it upon myself to learn the other sides. And it only took four years, a couple scholarships, and some money out of my own pocket for all that!
Reply #23 Top
It's too easy to blame schools for the fact that you didn't come away with a greater amount of knowledge (note I do not say skills... 4 year schools aren't training grounds for jobs). The idea used to be, if you went to college, you wanted to LEARN. Students should be motivated on their own to investigate issues and subjects that interest them. If they think they're only getting half the story, they should go out and get the other half.

Did you disagree with a majority of what a professor said? GOOD! It means they made you think about your positions, if only enough to disagree. They challeneged your views, and whether or not you know it, you're better for it.

College teaches you how to think in a more critical manner. It teaches you how to do research, how to write (well it used to at least), how to articulate your thoughts in a clearer manner. Your particular major or set of majors merely gives context within which to apply all of that. My degree in IT taught me almost nothing of IT itself, but it did teach me how to write a research paper, how to do comparative product analysis, how to connect technology issues to business issues. All good things to know. Sure I didn't learn how to code, or how to run a network... but I wanted to learn it so I taught myself a lot on my own.

Yes, schools have a strong liberal bias. Well, from what I've experienced, upper management in companies (both large and small) tend to have a strong conservative bias. I know if I voice my left-leaning opinions to my bosses, it will negatively affect my standing here. Should I rail against "The Man" because I'm now in the unfair position of having to surpress my thoughts and opinions? 4 years of school versus 40 years in the workforce... which side gets the worse deal?
Reply #24 Top
College teaches you how to think in a more critical manner.


This says it all!! This is the reason why, even with the cost, the propaganda and the one-sided slant on everything, college is still worth the time and money.

The tragedy of it all is, we aren't taught critical thinking until college. So what good are those 4 years of high school? ;~D
Reply #25 Top
What college are you going to? Maybe the students who try to get as little for their dollar are receiving little knowledge, but I know many who have learned wonderful things during their college experience, myself included.


Colleges provide book knowledge, which is really secondary to their purpose and ususally useless.

What most smart people get out of College is the abilty to Learn! And the foundation to learn on their own. The ability and confidence to think on their own and go beyond their professors.

Given that most of them quit learning when they got the letters behind their names, the latter is fairly easy except for mush brains that just repeat what they are told.