Harvard Crimson Quotes Peter Wood on Political Imbalance

Ashley Thorne

The Harvard Crimson has published results of an inquiry into the political donations and affiliations of its faculty members. The article, "Harvard Faculty Donate to Democrats by Wide Margin," shows that in three years, 84 percent of those teaching at the university donated to Democrats, and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, 96 percent gave to Democrats. In five schools - Dental, Divinity, Design, Education, and Public Health, all donations went to Democrats and none went to Republicans. 

The Crimson quotes NAS president Peter Wood saying that this is a cause for concern:

To the president of the National Association of Scholars, Peter Wood, “disproportionate numbers are manifestly a problem and it is something colleges and universities need to take seriously” should faculty begin being outspoken about their politics in their classes.

Faculty interviewed in the study maintained that they had kept their politics out of the classroom. But renowned Harvard government professor and member of NAS board of advisors Harvey Mansfield said, “The only debate we get here is between the far-left...and the liberals...It gives students a view that a very narrow spectrum of opinion is the only way to think.”

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