Matt Taibbi critiques how universities like Johns Hopkins present themselves as independent economic drivers while heavily relying on federal research funding. He highlights that nearly half of the funding for leading institutions comes from taxpayer money, calling into question their marketing tactics. Taibbi expresses concern about public perception, arguing that voters are unaware of this dependency, which allows universities to portray themselves as purely private entities. The resulting economic impact on local economies, such as Baltimore, further complicates the narrative around education funding and university roles within society.
"Because of our researchers' extraordinary success in competing year after year for merit-based grants and contracts, we are, more than any other American university, deeply tethered to the compact between our sector and the federal government."
"It seemed odd that the 'largest private employer in Maryland' is half-funded by the federal 'research dollars', but I shrugged and went to the Johns Hopkins website to read the Daniels letter."
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