College Matters from The Chronicle This Prof Wants to Win Back the GOP Bros
8 snips
May 6, 2025 Jon Shields, a professor of American politics at Claremont McKenna College, discusses the state of conservatism among college students influenced by groups like Turning Point USA. He argues that today's conservative movement often lacks foundational ideas, urging professors to reintroduce thinkers like Edmund Burke to the MAGA crowd. The conversation delves into the tension between conservatism and liberalism in academia, the politicization of higher education, and the challenges of engaging conservative youth in meaningful discourse.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
University Denial Breeds Alienation
- Jon Shields criticizes the university for ignoring its liberal bias and self-censorship issues.
- He believes this denial has alienated conservatives and contributed to public opinion turning against higher education.
Political Sorting Shapes Majors
- Conservative students tend to avoid social sciences because courses are framed with progressive views.
- This leads conservatives to cluster in STEM, reducing their presence in humanities and social sciences.
Conservative Intellectual Void Exists
- The decline of conservative professors leaves students exposed only to shallow, provocateur-led conservatism.
- Jon Shields sees Charlie Kirk's approach as reducing conservatism to mocking liberals and driving conservatives away from academia.