Political and social shifts in Western democracies have raised concerns about erosion of academic freedom. Historically, colleges and universities collectively governed admission, hiring, curricula, assessment, and research funding based on disciplinary expertise. Those self-governing prerogatives are increasingly contested by external constraints and priorities. Outside authorities can shape research agendas through state funding criteria, restrict personnel decisions through laws, and influence institutional priorities via donor funding. Academic disciplinary norms also channel methodological preferences. These varied encroachments can produce lasting effects on institutional autonomy, scholarly decision-making, and the broader pursuit of knowledge.
Political and social changes in the U.S. and other Western democracies in the 21st century have triggered growing concerns about possible erosion of academic freedom. In the past, colleges and universities largely decided whom to admit and hire, what to teach, and which research to support. Increasingly, those prerogatives are being challenged. In a new working paper, Pippa Norris, the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Harvard Kennedy School, looked at academic freedom and found it faces two very different but dangerous threats.
Constraints on this process from outside authorities no matter how well-meaning can be regarded as problematic for the pursuit of knowledge. Encroachments on academic freedom can arise for many different reasons. For example, the criteria used for state funding of public institutions of higher education commonly prioritize certain types of research programs over others. Personnel policies, determined by laws, set limits on hiring and firing practices in any organization. Donors also prioritize support for certain initiatives.
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