Just four months after it was expected to wear a political affiliation on your sleeve, backpack or dorm window, a recent study seeks to explain the lack of Bush/Cheney signs on campus.

University of Santa Clara economics professor Daniel Klein’s study compiled the political identities of professors nationwide. His results show a stark disparity between Democratic and Republican affiliation, in general GOP supporters are outnumbered 15 to one with many departments easily besting that. Anthropology showed a 30 to one difference with sociology not far behind at 28 to one. Since its release, the study has spurred possible legislation for public universities in Ohio and there is a sense of agreement regarding the study from some departments here on the Hill.

‘It seems like a very realistic number and I am not surprised by it,’ said anthropology chair Peter Castro in reference to the 30-to-one figure.

Castro said it is anthropology itself that tends to lead to political uniformity. He cites a desire to look out for the underdog, which many faculty attribute to a value embodied by the Democrats. Castro did note there is an upside to employing those outside the norm. During his own dissertation review at the University of California at Santa Clara, he became friends with a conservative professor who, he said, played an important role in his formative years.

‘He did modify my thinking, although I still felt very progressive,’ Castro said. ‘He praised business people and entrepreneurs while you normally hear how bad business people and multi-nationals are.’

Although rare, he said those who break ranks politically tend to be attracted to the basic, apolitical appeal of an appreciation of humanistic value. Unfortunately, it is not common that this kind of philosophy separates itself from a traditional liberal mindset. A candidate for academia would be doing themselves no favors by being the black sheep, he said.

‘(If you are a Democrat) you’d be going with the flow,’ Castro said.

Both Castro and Chris Himes, chair of the Syracuse University sociology department, said although they could not be sure, it wouldn’t surprise them if everyone in their department was a registered Democrat.

As far as sociology goes, Himes noted most in her field are more liberal because they feel a society creates problems that only society as a whole can remedy. For instance, Himes said poverty does not exist because of lazy people; it exists because of social conditions. Therefore, a solution would be more effective from a public sphere (i.e. government) then a private one.

‘The field tends to attract people with a liberal bent,’ Himes said.

It might not be that simple though, said Maxwell professor Robert McClure.

‘I believe that there is some tendency in faculty thinking that people who agree with their ideology are smarter,’ he said. ‘There are many ways to say that.’

McClure personally became concerned with a liberal disparity affecting students after noticing a trend in course evaluations that legitimate, conservative or Republican thoughts were not being treated fairly in the Maxwell class Critical Issues for the United States and others. Since becoming aware of the issue, he said he has confronted many of his colleagues about their bias and how to minimize it.

He added Klein’s data only bolsters the importance of those evaluations.

‘You have to take it seriously,’ McClure said.

Ohio state senator Larry Mumper is doing just that. He has brought forth legislation that would attempt to ‘bring parity’ to an uneven playing field by regulating political speech by a publicly employed professor. Castro said, even though he is personally a liberal, he does not bring his personal beliefs to the forefront unless it is appropriate.

‘Unless it is absolutely germane, I don’t bring it up,’ he said.

He added they are employed as teachers of an academic field, and although a majority of the professors might lean a certain way, they are not in the business of converting students.

‘We are not commissars,’ Castro said.

McClure cautioned that there is only a certain amount someone can dial down their own beliefs and sometimes there is no real substitute for having genuine conservative thought. He also said the Ohio proposal was nothing more than silly ‘political grandstanding for no real purpose’ that would ultimately fail and impugn free speech. Both are just realities of a free society.

Even though in his 36 years at Maxwell as a senior associate dean and professor, McClure said he could count the number of true conservatives on his two hands, there is really only one way to create more of a level playing field: keep the topic out in the open.

‘I’m an old-fashioned intellectual libertarian,’ McClure said. ‘I can’t help but think that the students would be better served, all things equal, reflecting the gender, racial and political distribution of society.’

Published on March 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm