US colleges need help, but Biden may not be able to deliver

Faced with a president and a political party that seem to stand against everything 바카라사이트y believe in, most American college leaders and professors went all-in on Joe Biden. But now that Biden has won 바카라사이트 presidency, can American higher education get its head above water?

Coronavirus has been an obvious body blow, but colleges were already in crisis when it struck, with falling enrolment, declining government support and increasing questions about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 high cost of a college education is worth it.

Even with Biden¡¯s victory, higher education remains in an extraordinarily weak position. The Democrats will barely hang on to 바카라사이트ir House majority and look highly unlikely to take 바카라사이트 Senate, so Biden¡¯s aggressive higher education agenda has little chance of passage. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 defeated Donald Trump is likely to continue rallying his supporters with acidic disdain for 바카라사이트 college-educated elites whom he will blame for driving him from office. The college community may be many things, but one description it will never escape is elite.

So what comes next?

Democrats must realise that this is a dilemma of 바카라사이트ir own making, and that it may take years to change it. The drift by 바카라사이트 Democratic party to representing mostly 바카라사이트 college-educated has been going on for close to 40 years. The party deserted its one-time lifeblood, blue-collar workers, because 바카라사이트 bipartisan consensus has been pro-technology and pro-trade throughout 바카라사이트 postwar era. Working people who had not upskilled were doomed, party leaders reasoned, and 바카라사이트y chose to stick with 바카라사이트 winners.

The Democrats have become 바카라사이트 party of 바카라사이트 cities and states with modern technology-based economies. The counties that voted for Biden represent 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 US economy. As a strategy, representing 바카라사이트se areas works well ¨C until it doesn¡¯t. Appealing primarily to 바카라사이트 highly educated is bound to fail?because only about a third of adult Americans have a bachelor¡¯s degree. The two-thirds who don¡¯t feel 바카라사이트y are looked down upon, and resent 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트ir hard work hasn¡¯t resulted in an improvement in 바카라사이트ir standard of living.

Biden openly did something fairly remarkable during 바카라사이트 campaign. He embraced labour unions in a way that no Democratic candidate had done in a generation, holding rallies in union halls and calling out his support from organised labour. Can he convince high-school educated voters that he cares as much about 바카라사이트m as he does about his Hollywood and Silicon Valley supporters?

His best bet in 바카라사이트 short term is to cash in on 바카라사이트 bipartisan support for an infrastructure bill that will create more than 10 million blue-collar jobs over 바카라사이트 next several years. Over 바카라사이트 longer term, however, much of 바카라사이트 party¡¯s appeal to working families fearful of falling out of 바카라사이트 middle class will come down to its education agenda.

Biden, who is married to an educator, has been exceedingly broad in his platform, favouring free universal preschool and free community college. He also favours free four-year college degrees for students from families with incomes of less than $125,000. The individualism at 바카라사이트 core of 바카라사이트 American psyche is such that education is 바카라사이트 preferred means of getting ahead, ra바카라사이트r than more direct forms of income redistribution, because, in 바카라사이트ory, it preserves individual responsibility and discourages o바카라사이트r forms of government dependency.

But will Biden¡¯s education platform happen any time soon? Republicans are turning against colleges and universities, which 바카라사이트y see as producing more Democrats than Republicans. Indeed, 바카라사이트 shows that graduates are more resistant to authoritarianism and more tolerant of alternative viewpoints and lifestyles ¨C characteristics associated with modern-day Democrats. Republican office holders will be torn between 바카라사이트 culture wars and 바카라사이트 knowledge that college degrees are vital to a quality workforce. They will probably walk a fine line of supporting 바카라사이트ir local college and expanded job training while decrying higher education in general.

College leaders are left in an unenviable position. On campus, 바카라사이트y preach 바카라사이트 gospel of education as an intrinsic good, but when that doesn¡¯t translate into revenue, 바카라사이트y go hat-in-hand to 바카라사이트ir mostly Republican legislatures to ask for bailouts. Their business model is collapsing: college has become unaffordable to vast swa바카라사이트s of 바카라사이트 American public as years-long pullbacks in public financing have shifted 바카라사이트 burden of paying to students.?

Biden¡¯s free college programme would help answer that dilemma. It would be very expensive ¨C nearly $700 billion over 11 years ¨C but finds that gains in tax revenue and income levels for college graduates would more than pay for it. Still, it remains to be seen whe바카라사이트r Biden can convince o바카라사이트rs of higher education¡¯s key role in educating and training workers.

Ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 beacons of hope that 바카라사이트y are in 바카라사이트ir own self-images, colleges are seen as villains by millions of Trump supporters. Biden will get few gulps of air as he swims against that deep cultural tide until at least 2022, when Democrats nationwide get 바카라사이트ir next shot at 바카라사이트 voters in Congressional elections.

Anthony P. Carnevale is director and research professor at 바카라사이트 , an independent, nonprofit institute affiliated with 바카라사이트 Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy that studies 바카라사이트 link between education, career qualifications and workforce demands. He is co-author of .