Are universities liberal hotbeds?

Rick Santorum, ol' Mr. Frothy himself, recently leveled this charge against our universities: universities indoctrinate our youth into leaving their religious conservative principles behind and adopting a radical leftist agenda.

Interesting...

First of all, there are lots of conservatives on university campuses and many on university faculties. Now, the exact balance between the two sides will depend upon many factors: the region of the country, the university in question, public vs. private, the school within the university, and the department within the school.

And then there is still room for variance...

Now let me ask you this. I'll take it as read and concede the point that many university professors are liberal, and the percentage may be higher than in professions like, say, Wall St. bankers or marketing executives.

Why is it, then, that the most educated people in our populace, those who hold Ph.D.'s tend to be more liberal?

It's an interesting question and there are several possible answers:

1. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once universities became more liberal, they started attracting, even recruiting, liberal students to return as professors.

2. Liberalism comes as a consequence of knowing "stuff." The more you know, the easier it is to see comparisons, contrasts, and differing points of view, and so you don't tend to identify with one viewpoint as staunchly as conservatives do.

3. Life in the academy, with its emphasis on secure employment and a comfortable but by no means luxurious living standard, appeals to those don't have entrepreneurial inclinations.

I think the the Rick Santorums of this world think in terms of number 1, i.e., the vast liberal conspiracy theory. I think he believes professors hold secret meetings in dark star chambers and sacrifice the babies of religious conservatives during black masses in honor of Marx and Hitler. No, really, I do think he believes this.

As for number 2, it's a compelling for different reasons. Why do conservatives hold to their views? For that matter, why does anyone hold to one set of beliefs over another? Because that person thinks s/he's right to do so. But once you see how the world can be reorganized through a different perspective, it's awfully hard to come back to that first perspective and hold to it as tightly as you once did.

Number 3 was something I heard a little while back, and I found it quite intriguing. Education didn't produce liberal professors, but rather liberals were drawn to academic life. This is the anti-Santorum argument. You can read about it here.

One thing is true, though: universities are places where all points of view should be freely shared, discussed, sifted through, and accepted or rejected based on the evidence and arguments presented.

Or is that too liberal an idea?