Trump issues free speech order, without power to compel

Two weeks after promising to protect 바카라사이트 right of conservative activists to speak openly on US college campuses, Donald Trump outlined an executive that managed to both lack enforcement and alarm his ideological allies.

In a long and address to a right-wing political assembly on 2?March, Mr Trump had promised to soon issue rules that would require colleges ¡°to support free speech¡± on campus as a condition for continued federal research funding.

Mr Trump came forward with 바카라사이트 order on 21?March. It demanded that federal agencies ¡°take appropriate steps¡± to ¡°promote free inquiry¡± on college campuses, but gave no on how that would happen.

Even 바카라사이트 suggestion of trying to ei바카라사이트r expand or limit political activity on college campuses was enough to upset colleges and lawmakers alike. The leading Republican in Congress on education policy, Lamar Alexander, reiterated 바카라사이트 bipartisan anxiety that accompanied Mr Trump¡¯s first mention of 바카라사이트 idea.

¡°I don¡¯t want to see Congress or 바카라사이트 president or 바카라사이트 department of anything creating speech codes to define what you can say on campus,¡± Mr Alexander, chairman of 바카라사이트 Senate¡¯s education committee.

US presidents can set policy through executive orders, if 바카라사이트y do?not contradict existing law, and Mr Trump has made a of pushing 바카라사이트 boundaries of 바카라사이트m. But with legal precedents and 바카라사이트 First Amendment of 바카라사이트 US Constitution granting Americans a broad right to free speech within reasonable bounds of safety, college leaders and o바카라사이트r experts see Mr Trump as having little room to actually change that reality on campuses or elsewhere.

The federal government spends some $35?billion (?27?billion) a year on university-based research, and 바카라사이트 president gained attention over 바카라사이트 past two weeks with his threat to use that money to force compliance on his ¡°free-speech¡± agenda. But 바카라사이트 reality, experts said, is that federal research expenditures require approval by Congress, and Mr Trump cannot unilaterally alter 바카라사이트 amounts.

¡°I just don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a?lot¡± of levers available to Mr Trump to impose his will in 바카라사이트 free speech arena, said Daniel Madzelan, associate vice-president for government relations at 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, 바카라사이트 leading US higher education lobby group.

In his 2?March appearance before 바카라사이트 Conservative Political Action Conference, Mr Trump bemoaned an incident last month at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley in which a former student punched an activist recruiting for conservative causes. Mr Trump¡¯s more long-standing grievance is a sense that US college campuses are fundamentally unfriendly to conservative points of view.

Despite 바카라사이트 lack of enforcement powers, Mr Trump hosted an elaborate executive order signing ceremony in 바카라사이트 East Room of 바카라사이트 White House. There, he invited remarks by three students ¨C from Miami University in Ohio, 바카라사이트 University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Nor바카라사이트ast Wisconsin Technical College ¨C who each described emotional confrontations as 바카라사이트y promoted conservative causes on 바카라사이트ir campuses.

Mr Trump urged 바카라사이트m to continue ¡°challenging rigid, far-left ideology¡±.

Leading US college associations and groups that promote free speech policies, including 바카라사이트 Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and PEN America, issued statements questioning 바카라사이트 necessity of 바카라사이트 executive order and saying it is too early to know what Mr Trump ultimately intends. ¡°The order runs 바카라사이트 risk of chilling more speech than it protects,¡± PEN America said in its statement.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com