Conservatives education reformers have spent the better part of 40 years running down the idea that a liberal arts education is something most Americans should strive for. They aggressively promote vocational education with the argument that there are a plethora of “good, high-paying jobs” just waiting for any eager young man or woman who would reject the […]

Read more "Looking for “Changemakers?” Try your Local Liberal Arts College"

In the hours and days following the election of Donald Trump, I took a lot of phone calls and emails from concerned friends and acquaintances. Beyond the “how did this happen” confusion was a palatable fear for what would come next. While I had my own anxieties (did we really just give the nuclear codes […]

Read more "The Reign of Incompetence"

I grew up in a solidly red Rust Belt town that has consistently elected conservatives to state and national offices. Many of my friends from college were not just right-leaning kids parroting their parent’s views on taxes and patriotism, they were politically active Republicans. From 2000-2016, these folks were loud. In person and online, they let […]

Read more "Where Have All the Conservatives Gone?"

Higher education, long considered a positive force for social, scientific, and economic development, has come under increasing fire in recent years. Many of these fights boil down to money– how much of our public capital should be spent on the venture? Colleges and universities have become targets for polemicists who paint them as “liberal” indoctrination […]

Read more "The Purpose of Colleges and Universities"

The political blogosphere is posting like its 1999. The internet is awash with stories about Ken Starr, Bill Clinton, and how our public perceptions have changed in the 20 years since the Lewinski scandal. Some come from liberals saying, in retrospect, President Clinton should have stepped down. Others– progressives and right-wingers alike– remind us that […]

Read more "“Was Ken Starr Right?” is the Wrong Question"

The issue of race in America is among our deepest divides. Indeed, most Americans can’t even agree that race IS an issue. Afterall, none of us sees race anymore. History is clear on this topic– the United States has been plagued from inception to present with institutional racial discrimination and exploitation. While most agree on […]

Read more "Mike Ditka and Colorblindness"

Multiculturalism has long been one of the right’s favorite slurs. It covers so much ground! In one word, conservative culture warriors get to thumb their noses at liberal academic elites and put down minorities. A classic “win-win.” This approach is not new to the Trump crowd. Moderate and establishment Republicans have been doing it for […]

Read more "The Right’s Problem with Multiculturalism (and History)"