Why are there so few conservative college professors?

This question-which I first saw on a website- was originally posted as a joke on a Catholic forum, but has become a serious issue apparently in the US: why are there so few conservative college professors?Opinions differ: some suggest that conservatives would rather make millions in the private sector(ie Wall Street) rather than wait for tenure in universities on a college professor's comparatively penurious salary( I was criticized for implying that conservatives were greedy philistines uninterested in classics or history).

Whatever the reason, the implicitly Democratic and liberal at that ethos of higher education has serious consequences-namely "groupthink">. As Dr King noted- injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, as little affection as conservatives are held by liberals( Teresa Wagner is currently suing the Iowa College of Law for discriminating against her based on her conservative and pro-life views in favour of a liberal colleague). News that the ROTC programme is due to return to Ivy League campuses like Yale and Harvard in the wake of the repeal of DADT; they were first ousted from academe in the wake of the Vietnam War) may see a thaw in the long estrangement between the US military and the nation's academic community.

Perhaps the best resposne would be to offer tenure on "a first come, first served" basis, irrespective of political viewpoint.

@aztek_the_lost said:

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

Anyways, your question is loaded. US college professors only seem liberal because the US is so unbelievably conservative, by any reasonable standards they are still conservative. And your assertion that the lack of conservative (what most countries would consider ultra right wing) opinion leads to group think is laughable.

I think I'd have to agree with this, what the US thinks of as liberal is considered conservative in normal countries.

Agreed! Well said.

But if what is considered liberal in the US is regarded as conservative in other societies what does that make conservatism in the US? Patricia Heaton claims that she has been refused job offers(as an actress) due to her conservative and pro-life views. My point is that an unhealthy predominance of any given viewpoint (liberal OR conservative) can lead to a skewed view of the wold and bad decision making( see "Groupthink"entry in Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org).

Terry

I don't have time to write a good response at the moment, but don't believe those that say liberal professors are enlightened. They are idiots. I'll give some proof when I come back.

In the early 20th century, Europe was considered the intellectual leader of the world...especially Germany which had a great deal of thinkers which were producing radical new theories of government. A lot of American intellectuals went over to Europe to gain the "best" education. The new ways of thinking that Europe was discovering at that time evolved into totalitarianism and fascism which culminated in Nazi Germany. Those seeds of political ideology were taken back to the United States via the intellectuals where it has become integrated into the education system. The progressive college professors taught their wonderful ideas to the students which in turn became the intellectual leaders of the future. It has been passed on in this form ever since. For more information on this, read Liberal Fascism. Good book.

College professors are obviously intelligent in some ways or they would not have reached such high academic office, but it is certainly possible to be intelligent in some facets of life and to be an idiot in others. For instance, the stereotypical nerd who is good at science but sucks as social skills. I would contend that most college professors are extremely intelligent in their fields but are complete idiots in political ideology who merely go with the flow of their culture's political ideals.

The biggest example I have of professor stupidity in this regard came from an education professor called Dr. Lowell Gadberry. On one occasion he was asked if the incoming President, President Obama, would repeal No Child Left Behind. Gadberry said that he didn't think it would be repealed and in fact Obama was actually talking about adding more bureaucratic regulations. Nonetheless, Gadberry supported Obama. When asked why he supported Obama, Gadberry hemmed and hawed around without answering the question. Finally, after a minute of stalling, he said that he really didn't like a lot of Obama's policies, but he liked Obama just because he could express himself well.

Idiot.

Anybody who supports Obama is supporting a guy who thinks it is okay to leave a newborn baby to die in a closet.

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

@Paracelsus said:

But if what is considered liberal in the US is regarded as conservative in other societies what does that make conservatism in the US? Patricia Heaton claims that she has been refused job offers(as an actress) due to her conservative and pro-life views. My point is that an unhealthy predominance of any given viewpoint (liberal OR conservative) can lead to a skewed view of the wold and bad decision making( see "Groupthink"entry in Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org).

Terry

I think 'out of touch with reality' is a perfectly good description of American conservatism. Having to constantly stop to explain that women and minorities are in fact people capable of having agency is actually detrimental to discussion which is why I say your group think assertion is laughable.

In American politics you only really have one party, it's split into the inhumane wing (the Republicans) and the humane wing (the Democrats) but both wings ultimately serve the interests of the big businesses and most devastatingly the defense industry. I call the Democrats 'humane' because they appear slightly less evil but that's only relative to the Republicans. Ultimately the fact that the Democrats manage to win seats and even elections from the votes of progressives who should be backing the progressive parties is the big thing holding the US back from being the nation of the free and the prosperous (as Americans like to think it is).

That is probably the stupidest comment I've ever seen on comicvine. Can you give me one example of a conservative politician saying that women and minorities are not people "capable of having agency." You've bought into a laughable caricature of conservatism promoted by those completely "out of touch with reality."

I do agree with you that both parties are leading the country in the wrong direction.

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

Anyways, your question is loaded. US college professors only seem liberal because the US is so unbelievably conservative, by any reasonable standards they are still conservative. And your assertion that the lack of conservative (what most countries would consider ultra right wing) opinion leads to group think is laughable.

I think I'd have to agree with this, what the US thinks of as liberal is considered conservative in normal countries.

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

@PsychoKnights said:

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

@Paracelsus said:

But if what is considered liberal in the US is regarded as conservative in other societies what does that make conservatism in the US? Patricia Heaton claims that she has been refused job offers(as an actress) due to her conservative and pro-life views. My point is that an unhealthy predominance of any given viewpoint (liberal OR conservative) can lead to a skewed view of the wold and bad decision making( see "Groupthink"entry in Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org).

Terry

I think 'out of touch with reality' is a perfectly good description of American conservatism. Having to constantly stop to explain that women and minorities are in fact people capable of having agency is actually detrimental to discussion which is why I say your group think assertion is laughable.

In American politics you only really have one party, it's split into the inhumane wing (the Republicans) and the humane wing (the Democrats) but both wings ultimately serve the interests of the big businesses and most devastatingly the defense industry. I call the Democrats 'humane' because they appear slightly less evil but that's only relative to the Republicans. Ultimately the fact that the Democrats manage to win seats and even elections from the votes of progressives who should be backing the progressive parties is the big thing holding the US back from being the nation of the free and the prosperous (as Americans like to think it is).

That is probably the stupidest comment I've ever seen on comicvine. Can you give me one example of a conservative politician saying that women and minorities are not people "capable of having agency." You've bought into a laughable caricature of conservatism promoted by those completely "out of touch with reality."

I do agree with you that both parties are leading the country in the wrong direction.

The entire anti-choice (hilariously referred to as "pro-life") movement is based on stripping women of their agency and we've even seen all male committees on policies concerning birth control pills. What is that if not a denial of women's agency?

So you have absolutely nothing to back up the race card you played?

The pro-death movement (hilariously referred to as "pro-choice") advocates the killing of humans. Conservatives think the intentional killing of innocent humans (also known as murder) is bad. The only issue is whether murder should be allowed because the human is in the belly of a woman. Conservative believe that murder should not be allowed even in these circumstances.

Regarding birth control pills, you need to be more specific. If you are talking about regular old birth control pills, I know of no conservative political movement to stop them. If you are talking about the type of birth control that kills a human life, then you are again defending murder. If you wish to make that case, then make it, but don't pretend it is anything else.

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

Because being a college professor requires a modicum of intelligence.

Anyways, your question is loaded. US college professors only seem liberal because the US is so unbelievably conservative, by any reasonable standards they are still conservative. And your assertion that the lack of conservative (what most countries would consider ultra right wing) opinion leads to group think is laughable.

I agree.

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

@PsychoKnights:

"The only issue is whether murder should be allowed because the human is in the belly of a woman. Conservative believe that murder should not be allowed even in these circumstances."

Like I said, out of touch with reality.

"Regarding birth control pills, you need to be more specific. If you are talking about regular old birth control pills, I know of no conservative political movement to stop them. If you are talking about the type of birth control that kills a human life, then you are again defending murder. If you wish to make that case, then make it, but don't pretend it is anything else."

Read the news once in a while.

Once more, let me point out that you used the race card yet fail to offer any example of how it is true. Your...well, I started to say spinning, but you're not even doing that. Your just throwing up a s---screen of insults and hoping something will stick.

"Like I said, out of touch with reality."

Care to offer any explanation of where I'm wrong? I know it easier for you to simply say I'm out of touch with reality, but I thought you might be able to actually back up your position.

"Read the news once in a while."

Apparently, I'm giving you too much credit. Give me the news story, and I will go from there. I'm not going to try to make your case for you by looking up an article that may or may not exist.

@jinxuandi said:

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

Like I said, out of touch with reality.

It's like someone was dying to prove your point...

In any event, it's a myth that all college professors are liberal. Sure, most (certainly not all) in the liberal arts are, but business, marketing and economics professors tend to be Republican (not surprising), and professors in other fields (like nursing, medicine and science) tend to be split down the middle. Of course, Republicans tend to not mention these when they bitch about the mythical "liberal college professor."

Since you seem to be backing How's view that I am out of touch with reality, do you care to explain where I'm off or will you stick with making statements without backing them up like him?

Nobody said that all college professors are liberal. Rather, OP asked why most are liberal, and that is not easily debatable. There have been studies showing that liberals are much more common in college that in regular life. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/04/opinion/sunday/college-doesnt-make-you-liberal.html

@Necrotic_Lycanthrope: I agree. People talk about how loving, progressive, and unbiased Democrats are, but quickly forget how Democratic implementations such as welfare are used to re enslave and destroy the black community.

@aztek_the_lost said:

@HowTerribleIsThat said:

Anyways, your question is loaded. US college professors only seem liberal because the US is so unbelievably conservative, by any reasonable standards they are still conservative. And your assertion that the lack of conservative (what most countries would consider ultra right wing) opinion leads to group think is laughable.

I think I'd have to agree with this, what the US thinks of as liberal is considered conservative in normal countries.

We're backwards like that.

Just like the fact that we're the only developed country in the world without universal health care, or the fact we're the only developed nation in the world that uses a two party system: WHICH IS AN EPIC FAIL(it's not like we're in debt, right?)

@Vaeternus said:

Depends. Having universal healthcare system is debatable. If not done right, I don't want it. Canada for example has one, and it's flawed. Friends of mine lived there and here, told me it's better here because there you have to wait months literally and I do believe a canadian ambassador came here for heart surgury.

Multiple and Two party systems, actually in Mexico, Canada and various parts of the world there are multiple parties, not just the USA. I prefer to have it that way honestly because everyone being the same like a bunch of robots would be dull, there'd be no room for disagreements and individualism.

@majestic99

This only I don't want a universal healthcare system at all.

You do realize that Europe, a group of countries that have various forms of universal healthcare, is in a financial meltdown right now, right? I'm not saying that the meltdown is because of universal healthcare (it is because of overspending, multiculturalism, and dishonesty), but I am saying that Europe is not necessarily the place to go for leadership.

@PsychoKnights: Doesn't change the fact that the U.S. lacks universal healthcare.

@majestic99 said:

@PsychoKnights: Doesn't change the fact that the U.S. lacks universal healthcare.

No freakin' duh. My point was that just because other countries have universal healthcare doesn't mean we should. Many other countries are in a worse spot financially than we are. Why should we follow their lead?

@joshmightbe said:

My question is why don't colleges hire more people who teach a moderate approach. Extremism is always bad regardless of the reason for it

You wouldn't want a surgeon who is extremely careful and skilled? Extremism isn't a bad thing as long as you are right.

SO GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Conservatives a is dying breed in this country. Along with the last flailing of a movement that is trying to preserve an America that no longer is what they remember it to be. The very core ideas of Conservatives is to stay the same (nutshelling here) and liberalism is adaptive, and way more welcoming to new ideas that allow them to garner more idealistic followers. For ages now, Conservative teachers, and professors have tried to influence, just as liberals, their pupils with teaching methods. The difference is, when something becomes obsolete and stagnant it is less likely to be received. There is a very good reason why no one uses phonographs anymore.

That is why you are seeing such a strong push back to any idea of of liberalism...It's always the tactic of the dying to do one last huzzah before they finally bite the dust. I truly believe that with the Election of Barack Obama, the scales tilted towards a more equalize nation, where the saying "you can grow up to be whatever you want to be" is true. Conservative college professors, young and old, really at their core can not bare the idea that the world around them is changing, and therefore they differ to other professions, that will allow them to make a more notable difference. But it backfired, and liberal thinkers are the ones that are influencing the young, which in turn will be the generation of liberal thinkers.

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights: I was referring to social extremism it doesn't really apply to technical skill. Political, religious and other forms of social extremism have never ended in anything but misery

How do you define extremism? I find it to be a term that people throw out when they don't like others views.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

Of course I agree with the quote but I'm not sure if the lack of conservative professors is injustice. More likely it's just happenstance due to the nature of universities.

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights: I view extremism as the primary reason for all social political and religious problems on Earth, people who agree with their side to the point where they ignore or dispute common sense and actual facts unless they specifically suit their purpose. Its like when republicans go off about helping big business despite the clear facts that all those tax cuts hurt the economy or the democrats that go on and on about programs helping the needy while at the same time refusing to acknowledge all the Junkies and lazy asses that abuse the system.

What we end up with are 2 sides that spend so much time worrying about which side wins the debate that they end up ignoring the issues and just letting everything get worse.

Cool. I see what you are saying.

As I said before, I've seen people used the term extremism to mean any view they dislike, and that hacks me off, but I can see you are not using the term that way. People who ignore information they dislike are definitely problematic.

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights: Moderation and compromise are the best way to solve most problems

I disagree. Finding a good solution and sticking with it is the best way to solve most problems.

Let's look at the deficit issue. Our nation keeps spending money we don't have. Big government people say we have to spend more money to start government programs which will help the economy grow and therefore garner more money for the government. Small government people say you don't spend money if you don't have it. There is no worthwhile compromise here. You either spend more, spend less, or do the same thing you've been doing.

Often, one position excludes another. For example, you can't reach a compromise between the pro-life and pro-choice people. You either believe a fetus is a human or you don't. How do you compromise something like that? Do you only abort half the fetus?

There are certainly some times you can compromise, but most of the time, it doesn't help.

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights: compromise leads to finding a solution to stick to.

How do you compromise between two exclusionary ideas? Your talking about aborting half a fetus. Nobody's happy. No solution has been reached.

@Vaeternus said:

@ the dude who said the right or left is a dying breed, not really. Most people are for either or, and you have your independents as well. If everyone was just with one party it would be dull as hell.

@Kastiel, actually that goes both ways dude. I've had liberal teachers and known friends who have had several yet weren't fond of those who didn't agree with them politically...so it's kind of unfair and wrong to say it's only "conservative" teachers. I'm sure a lot of them do that but it's not right either way.

@PsychoKnights said:

@majestic99 said:

@PsychoKnights: Doesn't change the fact that the U.S. lacks universal healthcare.

No freakin' duh. My point was that just because other countries have universal healthcare doesn't mean we should. Many other countries are in a worse spot financially than we are. Why should we follow their lead?

Good point, I agree and also don't get why we should be like other countries when they also have their struggles.

I think the people who say, "We should do what _____ country does," have some sort of idea that America is fundamentally evil or stupid.

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights said:

@joshmightbe said:

@PsychoKnights: compromise leads to finding a solution to stick to.

How do you compromise between two exclusionary ideas? Your talking about aborting half a fetus. Nobody's happy. No solution has been reached.

I have a very simple solution for that if it ain't my kid or your kid its none of our business

Actually, that's not much of a solution. For one thing, it is pretty much an uncompromising view of abortion which of course is a view you are entitled to, but since you contended that true solutions are a compromise, you kind of undercut your argument since there was no compromise in that solution. For another thing, there could be a disagreement between the father and mother on whether or not to abort the child in which case there would still need to be a law concerning when it was okay to terminate a fetus.

@Vaeternus said:

@PsychoKnights said:

@Vaeternus said:

@ the dude who said the right or left is a dying breed, not really. Most people are for either or, and you have your independents as well. If everyone was just with one party it would be dull as hell.

@Kastiel, actually that goes both ways dude. I've had liberal teachers and known friends who have had several yet weren't fond of those who didn't agree with them politically...so it's kind of unfair and wrong to say it's only "conservative" teachers. I'm sure a lot of them do that but it's not right either way.

@PsychoKnights said:

@majestic99 said:

@PsychoKnights: Doesn't change the fact that the U.S. lacks universal healthcare.

No freakin' duh. My point was that just because other countries have universal healthcare doesn't mean we should. Many other countries are in a worse spot financially than we are. Why should we follow their lead?

Good point, I agree and also don't get why we should be like other countries when they also have their struggles.

I think the people who say, "We should do what _____ country does," have some sort of idea that America is fundamentally evil or stupid.

I agree, whenever I hear someone say that I think "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" know what I mean? Nobody is perfect but a change like that would make things far worse I think. America has gone thru ups and downs before, yet all of a sudden those people you refer to want to change us to be like someone else...

Yeah, young people are in particular are susceptible to the idea that new is better, and they often swallow any political ideology that makes them feel like they are bucking the system. However, most (arguable all) of those ideologies are just turning them into cogs in a different system. "Useful idiots."