Closed Minds? Politics and Ideology in American Universities

"Contrary to popular belief, the problem with U.S. higher education is too little politics, not too much. Far from being bastions of liberal bias, American universities have largely withdrawn from the world of politics. So conclude Bruce L. R. Smith, Jeremy D. Mayer, and A. Lee Fritschler in this illuminating book." "Closed Minds? draws on interviews, focus groups, and original survey data, as well as the authors' decades of experience in higher education, to paint the most comprehensive picture to date of campus political attitudes. It tackles tough questions: To what extent do liberals dominate the faculties at leading universities? What impact does ideology have on hiring and promotion? How do students view their professors' political beliefs? How often do they encounter political bias in the classroom?" "Disengagement characterizes many campuses, and vigorous political debate is rare. Universities all but ignore what used to be called civics, and faculty members take little interest in educating students to be effective citizens. American colleges and universities now occupy a sadly diminished place in the nation's political and civic life - a situation that the authors challenge educators to change."--BOOK JACKET.

A. Lee Fritschler is professor and director of executive education at the School of Public Policy at George Mason and a former vice president at Brookings. Jeremy D. Mayer is associate professor at the School of Public Policy at George Mason. Bruce L. R. Smith is a visiting professor at the School of Public Policy of George Mason University.