Disconnect: Kentucky and the political ideology of its public universities.

Abstract

University campuses are often highly unrepresentative of the political jurisdictions in which they are located, a testament perhaps to higher education’s unwavering commitment to independent thought in a politically polarized country. This circumstance becomes less admirable, however, when colleges are publicly funded—ostensibly, a reflection of the public will—and are themselves deeply involved in partisan politics. Ben Foster’s analysis of political contributions shows not only that public university and college affiliated donors in Kentucky lean heavily to the left, but that academic programs and policies of dubious educational value appear to flout the public will.