As Republicans gathered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to select Donald J. Trump as their nominee for president, political scientists agree that the 2024 election season has been extraordinarily wrought, and tensions aren’t likely to ebb as the presidential election draws nearer.
Experts urge voters everywhere, but particularly in higher education institutions, to pay close attention to how politicized higher education has become, particularly in light of Project 2025.
Dr. John Kane, clinical associate professor at the Center for Global Affairs and affiliated faculty of New York University’s Department of Politics.
“In some ways, Trump has successfully, even if unintentionally, lowered the bar for himself, such that it’s now almost inconceivable to think of anything that he could say or do that would substantially change anyone’s mind about him. And that’s just kind of unprecedented from previous elections,” said Kane.
Trump’s unconditional support is not replicated across the aisle for President Joe Biden, said Kane, who receives intense criticism from Republicans, media, and Democrats alike regarding his age, mental acuity, and verbal gaffes, which have culminated in calls for him step down from the political ticket.
Usually, Kane said, Democrats could rely on the strong economy to bolster their voters, yet Democrats are finding themselves on the defense in this year’s election.
“If you take a long view, the economy is fantastic. Right now, inflation is under 4%, which is right in line with historical averages. Unemployment is basically at about 4%. That’s also fantastic,” said Kane. “In a normal election, the Republican Party would be struggling to make the case in the election that the economy is bad. But instead, we’re kind of in an upside-down world where the Democrats have to defend the economy.”
Dr. Ravi Perry, a professor of political science at Howard University in D.C., said that under Trump’s leadership, the Republican party has failed to produce a clear platform of policies it wishes to enact. Instead, policy has been replaced by “rhetoric, speeches, and platitudes,” Perry said, which often means voters might not know what Republicans plan to do once they assume office.
Dr. Ravi Perry, professor of political science at Howard University in D.C.
Project 2025, otherwise known as the Presidential Transition Project, was organized by the conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation. It’s a 920-page outline for Trump’s second term, which, among other things, increases executive powers, abolishes the Department of Education, dismantles environmental organizations, and terminates “Dreamer” status from 500,000 immigrants. Trump and Vance have denied knowledge of Project 2025, despite there being ample evidence to the contrary.
“Some of the proposals and projects [in Project 2025], it’s deeply unpopular stuff, stuff that two-thirds of Americans would oppose,” said Kane, citing the plan’s proposed ending of all abortion rights and giving the president greater control over the justice department. “These are things that the American people don’t really want as a whole.”
But getting students to do their homework and research issues may be half the challenge.
“My job is not to tell you who to vote for, my job is to teach you how to think about how you make that decision,” said Perry. In speaking with students, he said he has yet to hear one young Black voter say they will vote for Trump. But he has heard them express a sincere disillusionment and apathy towards the Democratic party.
It’s why Perry encourages students to do their research, read Project 2025, and read the Democratic party platform. In sum, the electorate is deeply uneducated and ill-informed on these issues, he said, through a conglomeration of media, misinformation, and “entertainment culture.”
“People are bored by information, particularly information that challenges them,” said Perry. “In a technocratic society, we can all turn on and off what we want, what meets our beliefs. We never have to learn anything we don’t want to.”
Project 2025 and the Republican vice presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, have made education “the enemy,” the word Vance used to describe professors in higher education in 2021, quoting former president Richard Nixon. While Kane agrees higher education is not without its faults, a blanket criticism of education allows for no growth within the field.
“There could be many reforms in higher education, but it should be very technical or programmatic discussions around affordability and access. But it’s turned into these things we see echoing elsewhere, about ‘political correctness’ and ‘diversity,’” said Kane. “What would really happen if you implement some of these policies could make access much, much more difficult for many people in the country and prevent them from getting a degree, and a job. As jobs get more sophisticated, they require more skills, and you need higher education. It would be very, very sad if those dreams are shut down under the guise of removing ‘political correctness.’”
Perry agreed.
“If I were a student, I’d be concerned about going to any public school in a conservative state,” said Perry, noting how students and faculty are opting for institutions in blue states to pursue their goals. “I just hope more people take the time over the next couple of months to seriously think about what elections are for — it’s not really about Biden/Harris, or Trump/Vance. It’s about the values they stand for.”
Liann Herder can be reached at [email protected].
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