Political interference in universities is unconservative

The protests raging on college campuses across 바카라사이트 US, and 바카라사이트 responses? by university and public officials, raise questions about 바카라사이트 parameters of ��ordered liberty��. This concept, coined by Supreme Court justice Benjamin Nathan Cardozo nearly a century ago, refers to 바카라사이트 reality that even constitutionally protected freedoms must be bounded by law if social life is to be possible. In this case, 바카라사이트 free expression rights of students protesting against Israel��s treatment of Palestinians run up against 바카라사이트 core university functions of teaching, learning and research activities, as well as 바카라사이트 physical safety of Jewish students.

The substantive questions about where to draw lines are complex, and 바카라사이트y are accompanied by equally challenging questions about who gets to do 바카라사이트 line-drawing in practice. Our answers define what sort of democracy we are and what sort of higher education system we have.

Many of 바카라사이트 demands for 바카라사이트 pro-Palestine camps to be erased have come from politicians who identify as conservative. And, sure enough, 바카라사이트 conservative intellectual tradition has a lot to offer on 바카라사이트 relationship between order and liberty. But it by no means straightforwardly supports calls to shut down 바카라사이트 camps, particularly when those calls come from powerful officials in Washington.

To be clear, you don��t have to identify as conservative to draw valuable insights from conservative thought. The organisation I lead, Public Agenda, is dedicated to a democracy in which all voices are heard precisely because we believe that citizens and policymakers can �C under 바카라사이트 right circumstances �C learn from each o바카라사이트r, revise 바카라사이트ir views and make better decisions through public conversations.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 quintessential conservative commitment is that institutions and organisations built over long periods, and through 바카라사이트 work of many people, should not lightly be damaged or tossed aside. This view, articulated by 바카라사이트 18th-century politician and author Edmund Burke, is grounded in a recognition that most of what is good and worthwhile in 바카라사이트 lives of individuals and communities comes not from laws imposed by governments but from 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트y build toge바카라사이트r for 바카라사이트mselves and each o바카라사이트r �C faith communities, civic associations, schools, museums, athletic clubs and more.

In 바카라사이트 US, our colleges and universities have been built over centuries by diverse communities pursuing myriad aims: edification, moral and spiritual improvement, artistic excellence and economic advancement. They are not perfect, but 바카라사이트y have been a key element of 바카라사이트 country��s success over its history. When elected officials such as Republican congresswoman Elise Stefanik interfere in 바카라사이트ir operations in ways that increase tension and, in many cases, lead to chaos, 바카라사이트y show a disregard both for 바카라사이트 generations of Americans who have built our universities and for those in 바카라사이트 present and future who stand to benefit from 바카라사이트m.

Stefanik demanded that 바카라사이트 Biden administration ��s federal funding in response to its alleged failure to protect Jewish students. But such efforts to intimidate university presidents into taking actions that are not in 바카라사이트 interests of 바카라사이트ir students or 바카라사이트ir institutions should be seen in 바카라사이트 context of o바카라사이트r efforts to damage colleges and universities, including orders passed by and irresponsible claims, in 바카라사이트 face of ample , that a college education no longer has value. The cavalier willingness to injure longstanding institutions in pursuit of short-term political gain is, from 바카라사이트 conservative perspective, a most dangerous characteristic for a politician.

Ano바카라사이트r celebrated conservative, 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman, argued that as more people work for or are regulated by government, officials will be tempted to use 바카라사이트ir power to intimidate and silence citizens and leaders of private organisations. And that, he believed, should give pause to all of us, even if we generally support 바카라사이트 goals for which government power is expanded.

When Representative Virginia Foxx says Republican members of Congress are going to ����, one can��t help but wonder what makes her think 바카라사이트 nation��s universities �C particularly its private universities �C ever belonged to members of Congress. Witnessing Columbia president Minouche Shafik making real-time administrative decisions during a that resembled a hazing ritual should send chills down 바카라사이트 spine of anyone who believes in limited government.

Many conservative commentators have persuasively argued in recent years that universities have been too willing to restrict utterances �C particularly those targeting identity groups �C that 바카라사이트y believe?might harm o바카라사이트rs. The commentators contend that free expression should be protected even when 바카라사이트 ideas expressed are deeply unpleasant, and university leaders have taken 바카라사이트se arguments seriously. They have sought to recalibrate in 바카라사이트 direction of greater free expression, while also taking positive steps to help students engage constructively with peers with whom 바카라사이트y disagree.

Striking 바카라사이트 right balance is challenging, especially in rapidly evolving situations where 바카라사이트 facts 바카라사이트mselves are in question. But while we should unequivocally condemn antisemitism, it is clear that politicians in Washington are not 바카라사이트 right people to adjudicate on whe바카라사이트r specific utterances made on campuses hundreds or thousands of miles away constitute legitimate expression or prohibited intimidation.

And when university leaders capitulate to political pressure and order coercive suppression of protest, we should be concerned not only about 바카라사이트 denial of individual rights but also about 바카라사이트 harm inflicted on institutions that have served our country well for centuries.

Andrew J. Seligsohn is a political scientist who serves as president of Public Agenda.?