American higher education faces significant challenges as government control threatens academic freedom. The article argues that this struggle calls for universities to reclaim their fundamental values — rooted in Enlightenment liberalism that promotes freedom of thought and political liberty. Founding leaders of American universities understood their crucial role in nurturing politically informed citizens and the link between liberty and education. The author emphasizes the importance of this legacy for democracy and urges scholars to resist encroachments on academic independence, reaffirming the historical mission of higher education.
"This campaign to assert government control is bad for the academy, but it's even worse for liberal democracy."
"Founding-era academic leaders understood...that universities were cornerstone institutions of the fledgling American experiment."
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