fulbright lecture 2017 - university of oxford
TRANSCRIPT
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FulbrightLecture2017
LouiseRichardson
UniversitiesinanAgeofPopulism
King’sCollegeLondon,Edinburgh,Oxford.June12,14,16,2017
IwonderwhatSenatorFulbrightwouldthinkifhewerealive
today.Ithinkitfairtoassumethathewouldfindhimself,ashesooftendidin
thecourseofhislongcareer,outoffavourwiththemainstream.Hiswasnota
philosophyof“AmericaFirst.”Acommittedmultilateralist;hesupportedthe
establishmentoftheUnitedNations.Hesoughttobreakdown,noterect,
barriersbetweenpeoples.Hepromotedexposureto-ratherthanretreatfrom
-foreigncultures.Heoncesaid:
“Therapprochementofpeoplesisonlypossiblewhendifferencesofcultureand
outlookarerespectedandappreciatedratherthanfearedorcondemned,when
thecommonbondofhumandignityisrecognizedastheessentialbondfora
peacefulworld.”
Fulbrightwasaremarkableman,aSouthernDemocratwholived
throughmostofthetwentiethcentury,from1905to1995.Hebecame
PresidentoftheUniversityofArkansasattheageof34,butgaveituptorun
forCongress,andafteronetermranforSenate,whereheservedfrom1945to
1974.Hebecamethelongest-servingChairmanoftheSenateForeignRelations
Committee.HeisrememberedforhisoppositiontoMcCarthyism.Hewasthe
onlysenatortovoteagainsttheappropriationsforthePermanent
SubcommitteeonInvestigations,chairedbyJosephMcCarthy.Heisalso
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rememberedforhisearlyandvocaloppositiontotheVietnamWar;herailed
againstthepopulistimpulsesand“angrymoralism”thatledtothewar.
Itisworthremembering,however,thatnotallofhisviewsoractions
wouldfindfavourtoday.FulbrightunseatedHattieCarraway,thefirstwoman
everelectedtotheUSSenate.Hewasasegregationistwhosignedthe
SouthernManifestoagainsttheSupremeCourtjudgementinBrownvsBoard
ofEducation.ThiswasthelandmarkcaseinwhichtheUSSupremeCourt
declaredthepracticeofestablishingseparatepublicschoolsforblacksand
whitestobeunconstitutional.Hefilibusteredthe1964CivilRightsAct,andhe
votedagainstthe1965VotingRightsAct.Whatdowemakeofamanwhoheld
viewsweadmireandthosewedespise-doweteardownhismemorials?Or
doweacknowledgeboth,acceptthattheworldisacomplicatedplace,that
evenourheroesarefallible,andtrytofocuson,andbuildupon,thepositive?
WeareheretodaybecauseofsomethingelsethatSenatorFulbrightdid.
In1946hefoundedtheFulbrightProgramwhichcreatedscholarshipsfor
AmericanstostudyabroadandforeignstudentstostudyintheUS.The
Programwasintendedasaprotectionagainstpopulism.Heexplained:“The
simplepurposeoftheexchangeprogramistoerodetheculturallyrooted
mistrustthatsetsournationsagainstoneanother.”Hedraftedlegislationthat
requiredthegovernmenttosellsurpluswarsuppliesandusetheproceedsto
fundtheprogram.TheUSgovernmentcontinuestofundtheprogramtothis
day.(AlthoughtheTrumpAdministrationhasproposeda47%cutinits
budget.)Therehavebeenover370,000recipientsofFulbrightscholarships
including43NobelLaureatesand37HeadsofState.Studentsfromover160
countriesparticipateeachyear.
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AtOxford,weareproudofourlinkswithSenatorFulbright.Hestudied
inPembrokeCollegeasaRhodesScholar.HewasthefirstRhodesScholarto
entertheUSSenate.HealsoservedasrefereeforWilliamJeffersonClinton
whenheappliedforaRhodesScholarshipfromArkansas.Fulbrightstudiedat
OxfordaftercompletingahistorydegreeattheUniversityofArkansasand
beforegainingalawdegreeatGeorgeWashingtonUniversity.Hewasa
memberoftheFoundingCouncilofOxford’sRothermereAmericanInstitute
andtoday,rooms,lecturesandvisitingprofessorshipsbearhisname.
Fulbrighthasbeendescribedascourtly,aloof,andpatrician.He
despairedoftheroleofpublicopinionininfluencingforeignpolicy,andsaidof
thethenPresident,JohnFKennedy:“Healone,inhisroleasteacherandmoral
leader,canhopetoovercometheexcessesandinadequaciesofapublicopinion
thatisalltoooftenignorantoftheneeds,thedangers,andtheopportunitiesin
ourforeignrelations.”TherewouldnotbemanytodaywhoseeKennedy’s
successorasateacherormoralleader,butmanywouldsharetheviewthat
publicopinioncanberousedtohaveanill-informedanddeleteriousinfluence
onforeignrelations.
Facedwithanarousedpublic,Fulbrightdidnotseektoaccommodateto
populism,toharnessitforhisownpoliticalends,nortoretreatfromit.Rather,
heenergeticallysoughttocreateanalternative.Thereisamodelforushere.
Fulbrightbelievedthat“theessenceofinterculturaleducationistheacquisition
ofempathy,theabilitytoseetheworldasothersseeit,toallowforthe
possibilitythatothersmayseesomethingwehavefailedtosee.”Thiswashis
antidotetopopulismandIbelieveitremainsthebestantidotetoday.
Weareheretodaytohonouramanwhoisknownforhaving-oftenat
someconsiderablepersonalcost-stoodupinthefaceofpopulistsentimentin
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favourofMcCarthyismandlaterthewarinVietnam.Hisresponsewastohold
hisgroundandtosupportaliberalinterconnectedmodelofglobaleducation.I
willarguethiseveningthatweshoulddothesame.
Populism
Thetermpopulismhasenjoyedaconsiderablerenaissanceinrecent
yearsthough,aswithmanynewphrases,peopleareoftennotentirelyclear-
andcertainlynotconsistent-inwhattheymeanbyit.Inshort,itmeansa
popularmovement-whichcanbeoftheleftorright-thatopposesthe
establishment.Inthepast,universitieswereoftenatthevanguardofsocial
movements-thinkofthe1960sintheUS,France,GermanyandItaly-butnot
thistime.Thepopulistmovementsoftodaydrawonlongtraditionsofanti-
intellectualismintheUSandtheUKthatconsignuniversitiestotheranksof
theself-servingelite.
Thetermpopulismhasbeenwidelyusedsincethe1890swhenan
agrarianmovementthatemergedfromtheKansasFarmersAllianceusedthe
termtodescribethepoliticalviewsthey-andotheralliancegroupsinthe
WestandSouth-weredeveloping.Atthetime,bothRepublicansand
DemocratsdelightedintheprogressofAmericanfinanceandindustry,while
farmerssufferedadevastatingdropinprices.Farmpricesfelltwo-thirdsinthe
MidwestandSouthbetween1870and1890,atthesametimeasmonopoly
railroadsraisedthecostoftransportingfarmproduce,andsalarieswere
threatenedbylowwageimmigrantsfromChina,JapanandItaly.ThePeople’s
PartywasfoundedinthebeliefthatbothDemocratsandRepublicanswerein
thegripoftheplutocracy,whereastheyrepresented“thepeople”or“the
plainpeople”whowerebeingleftbehind.Ifthissoundsfamiliar,it’sprobably
notacoincidence.
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WhileJacksonianDemocratswantedtorestorepopulardemocracyby
eliminatingtheroleofgovernmentintheeconomy,thepopulistswantedthe
governmenttointervenetocountereconomicinjustice.Inthe1892election
thePeople’sParty,notwithstandingtheirrelativelackofresources,received
8%ofthevoteandcarried5states.Twoyearslatertheywon10%ofthevote
electing4Congressmenand4Senators,21stateexecutivesand465state
legislators.Themajorpartiestooknoticeandcontrivedtostealtheirclothesby
incorporatingsomeoftheirplatform,sothatinthe1896electionthepopulist
votemigratedtothetwomajorparties.(Mainstreampartiesincorporatingthe
platformofasmallerandmoreextremepopulistpartyinordertoremove
themasanelectoralthreat,again,thisdoessoundfamiliar,doesn’tit?)
JohnJudishastracedpopulistmovementsintheUSsincethen,suchas
HueyLong’s“shareourwealth”campaignintheearly1930swhichpressured
Roosevelttoaddresseconomicconcerns.Thetermenjoyedarenaissancein
the1950sasitwasappliedbroadlytodescribebothfascistandcommunist
movementsinEuropeaswellasrightwing,anti-communistMcCarthyitesand
ArgentinianPeronistas.Academicsinthesixtieshadvariousexplanationsfor
thephenomenon.Somesawitascausedbyangeratdecliningsocialstatus,
othersattributedittonationalistnostalgia,andotherstoauthoritarian
politiciansseekingsupportfortheirdesiretounderminedemocratic
institutions.IntheUS,GeorgeWallace’spopulistcampaigninfavourof
segregationwasdesignedtopreserveworking-classneighbourhoodsandwas
followedontherightbyPatBuchanan’sReformPartyandmorerecentlythe
TeaParty.OntheleftwehaveseentheOccupyWallStreetmovementand,in
thelastelection,theunanticipatedpopularityofBernieSanders.
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CasMuddewroteina2002bookintheOxfordUniversityPressVery
ShortIntroductionSeriesthatpopulismisa“thinideology”whichistosaythat
itissimplyaframeworkratherthanaworldview,aframeworkthatsetsup
“purepeople”ontheonehandagainsta“corruptelite”ontheother(as
comparedwithpluralismwhichacceptsthelegitimacyofmanydifferent
groups.)Hearguesthatthis“thinideology”canbeattachedtoallkindsof
“thickideologies”suchassocialism,nationalismorimperialism,andsoon,in
ordertoexplaintheworldandjustifyaspecificagenda.
Thisexplainshowthetermpopulismcanbeascribedtosuchdiverse
politicaloperativesastheDutchGeertWilders,asecularnationalistwho
demandsacrackdownonIslamindefenceofgayrights,aswellasJaroslaw
Kaczynski,areligiousnationalistwhopushedforaCatholictakeoverof
Poland’sinstitutionsfromtheelitesecularliberals,andtheanarcho-socialists
inSpain’sPodemoswhodemandthetakeoverofvacantbuildingsownedby
“lacasta”(theelitecaste)andtheirdistributiontothe“gente”thepure
people.
Populistsholdthatonlyonegroupislegitimate,thepeople,however
defined.Muddearguesthatthepopulistviewoftheirmissionisessentially
moral.Thedistinctionbetweenthepeopleandtheeliteisnotyourwealth,but
ratheryourvalues.Theythereforemaintainthattheyalonerepresentthe
people.Theymaynotwinalltheirvotes,butbelievetheywinallthevotesof
decenthardworkingpeoplewhohavebeenexploitedbytheestablishment.
PrincetonacademicJanWernerMullerarguesinWhatisPopulismthat
populistsonlylosewhenthe“silentmajority”alsoknownasthe“realpeople”
havenothadachancetospeak,hencethepopularityofconspiracytheories
amongthesegroups.Ifthepeople’spoliticiandoesn’twin,theyhavebeen
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cheated.IntherecentUSelectioncandidateTrumprepeatedlyclaimedthat
theelectionwasbeingriggedbyhisopponent.(Itturnsout,ofcourse,thathe
mayhavehadapoint,itmayindeedhavebeenrigged,butinhisfavourandby
theRussians!)TwothirdsofTrumpsupportersbelievedthecampaignwas
beingriggedwhile80%ofClintonsupportersand57%ofallrespondents
believedtheelectionwasfair.
Curiously,evenwhenpopulistsentergovernmenttheystillhave
somebodytoblameandmanagetoconveythemselvesasvictims.Rightwing
ErdoganinTurkeyblamesGulenandhisdomesticsupporters,whileleftwing
HugoChavezinVenezuelablamedforeignenemies.Onsomeoccasions,faced
withtherealityofgoverning,populistsmoderateandlosetheirappealas
outsiders,aswithSyrizainGreeceandtheTrueFinnsinFinland.Inothers,they
takeaimattheinstitutionsofthestatewhichtheyperceiveascountervailing
powers.Theattackonnon-compliantjudgesintheUSandtheUK,the
descriptionofjudgesasenemiesofthepeoplebytheDailyMailintheUKand
PresidentTrumpintheUSisaforetasteofHungary’sOrbanloweringthe
retirementageforjudgesinordertofillthenewpositionswithloyalists,and
mostextreme,Turkey’sErdogan’swholesaleattackonthejudiciary.
Ominously,bothErdoganinTurkeyandOrbaninHungaryhavetaken
aimatuniversitiesseeingthemascountervailingsourcesofpluralismand
perceivingintheirautonomyathreattostatemonopoly.Orban’seffortsto
shutdowntheCentralEuropeanUniversityinBucharest,whichwascreated
preciselytosupportthedevelopmentofliberaldemocraticvaluesintheregion
wassurpassedonlybyErdogan’swholesaleattackonacademicsand
universitiesinthewakeoftherecentcoupattempt.
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Generally,accordingtoMuller,populistsdefine“thepeople”asthose
whoagreewiththem.Hearguesthatpopulistsputwordsintothemouthsof
whatis,afterall,theirowncreation.AsanexampleofthishecitesNigel
Farage’sassertionthatBritain’svotetoleavetheEUwas“avictoryforreal
people”asifthe48%ofBritishpeoplewhovotedRemainwerenotreal
people.Mullerbelievespopuliststobedefinedbytheirclaimthattheyalone
representthepeople,thatallothersareillegitimate.Hedistinguishesbetween
inclusiveandexclusivevarietiesofpopulism.Exclusivepopulism,exemplified
bysupportersofTrump,butmorecommoninEurope,focusesonshuttingout
stigmatisedgroups,likemigrants.Inclusivepopulism,moreoftenfoundin
LatinAmerica,demandsthatpoliticsbeopeneduptostigmatisedgroups
ThesurpriseelectionofDonaldTrumpisseenasavictoryforpopulism
andcertainlyitcameasasurprisetotheestablishment(aswellas,apparently,
tothecandidatehimself).DonaldTrump,however,didnotsetoutasa
populist,butthankstothestrategyofSteveBannon,hebecameone.Thiswas
crucialtohisultimatevictory.Trump’sinitialmessagewasnotoneofthepure
peopleagainstthecorruptelite,ratheritwasthebrilliantdealmakeragainst
thecorruptelite.Whenheannouncedhiscandidacy,Trumpusedversionsof
theword“I”256times.Bycontrast,inhisinauguraladdress,heusedit3
times.Hiscampaignrhetorictransitionedfromclaimingthathealonecouldfix
thebrokensystem,to:hewouldbethevoiceoftheforgottenmenandwomen
ofthecountry.BythetimeofhisinaugurationTrumpwasbeingconsciously
modelledonthepopulismofAndrewJackson.Hedeclared:“January20th2017
willberememberedasthedaythepeoplebecametherulersofthisnation
again.”AsMuddehasargued,Trumpshiftedfromsellinghimself,to
presentinghimselfasavehicleofthepeople,sothathissupporterscouldbe
partofsomethingbiggerthanTrump.
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ThatTrumpcangetawaywithclaimingtobeavoiceforthepeople
confirmsthatpopulismisaboutsharingvalues,noteconomiccircumstance.
Thankstohisrefusaltodisclosehistaxreturns,wehavenoideahowrich
Trumpactuallyis,buthehasalltheaccoutrementsofbeingveryrichindeed,
andyetheisacceptedbymanymillionsofUSvotersasoneofthepurepeople.
Moreover,itisworthrememberingthatthemajorityofvotersearningless
than$50,000actuallyvotedforSecretaryClinton.
WhilePresidentTrump’snarcissismislegendary,hisclaimsinthefaceof
overwhelmingevidencehaveanideologicalexplanationtoo.Asmyformer
colleague,PippaNorris,haswritten:“Thelegitimacyofpopulistscomefrom
massopinion.Trumpdoesn’thavelegitimacythroughthepopularvote.He
doesn’thavelegitimacythroughexperience.Hedoesn’thavelegitimacy
throughtheParty.Soheclaimsthismythicallinktothepeople.”Asthechosen
emissaryofthepeopleTrumphasdifficultyinreconcilingthisrolewith
relativelylowturnoutathisinauguration,withweakpollnumbers,thelossof
thepopularvote,massprotestsbypeopleclaiminghedoesn’trepresentthem,
andmediacriticismofpoliciesforwhichheclaimstohaveamandate,like
banningMuslims,buildingborderwalls,eliminatinghealthinsurancefor
millions,andsoon.Ashehashimselfsaid:“Partofmywholevictorywasthat
themenandwomenofthiscountrywhohadbeenforgottenwillneverbe
forgottenagain.”
PresidentTrump’spreoccupationwith“fakenews”hisacceptanceof
“alternativefacts”andhisgeneralflagrantdisregardforevidenceisquitean
extremeexampleofthelongtraditionofanti-intellectualisminAmericaandto
alesserextenttheUK.(BurkewasnopopulistbutheelevatedtheveryBritish
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notionof“commonsense”overthemoretheoreticallydrivenideologyofhis
continentalcontemporaries.)
RichardHofstadterbrilliantlydescribedtheAnglo-Saxonapproach
markedbypragmatismandempiricisminhisPulitzerPrizewinningbook“Anti-
IntellectualisminAmericanLife”publishedin1964.Hewrote:“Whatusedto
beajocularandusuallybenignridiculeofintellectandformaltraininghas
turnedintoamalignresentmentoftheintellectualinhiscapacityasexpert.
Oncetheintellectualwasgentlyridiculedbecausehewasnotneeded;nowhe
isfiercelyresentedbecauseheisneededtoomuch.”
WhereasJohnFKennedyfamously,butbriefly,brought“thebestand
thebrightest”intotheWhiteHouse,HofstadtersurveyedtheMcCarthyera
andtheEisenhowerPresidencywhenappointmentstendedtogotothosewith
connections,notexpertise.HeprovidesanillustrativeexampleofaSenate
ConfirmationHearingforMaxwellGluckasAmbassadortoCeylon.MrGluckis
askedifheknowsthenameofthePrimeMinisterofIndia.MrGluckreplies
“Yes,butIcannotpronouncehisname.”Hewasthenasked:“Doyouknowwho
thePrimeMinisterofCeylonis?”Gluckreplied.“Hisnameisunfamiliarnow.”
MrGluckwasappointedanyway.IncidentallytheSenatoraskingthequestions
wasnoneotherthanSenatorWilliamFulbright.
OftenRepublicanleadershavesoughttoappearlessintelligentthan
theyare.WhenaidesexpressedconcernaboutEisenhowerfacingapress
conferencehereassuredthem:“Don’tworry”hesaid“I’lljustgooutthereand
confusethem”.RonaldReagandescribedhimselfasan“ordinaryAmerican”
notsome“littleintellectualeliteinafardistantcapitol.”GeorgeBushtoldthe
“CStudents”inaCommencementAddressatYalethat“youtoocanbe
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President.”CandidateTrumpfamouslysaidatacampaignrallyinNevadain
February:“Ilovethepoorlyeducated.”
I’msuremanyofyouhaveheardthequotewrittenbyHLMenckenin
1920,I’venoideawhyitcomestomindnow,andIpresentitwithout
comment:
“Asdemocracyisperfected,theofficeofthePresidentrepresentsmoreand
moreclosely,theinnersoulofthepeople.Onsomegreatandgloriousdaythe
plainfolksofthelandwillreachtheirheart’sdesireatlastandtheWhiteHouse
willbeadornedbyadownrightmoron.”
Thisdisdainforexpertsgoeshandinhandwithpopulism.Forme,andI
expectmanyothers,themostmemorablelineoftheReferendumcampaign
lastyearwasthatexpressedbyMichaelGove(educatedatmyuniversity,
sorry)that“Wehavehadenoughofexperts”.A2016YouGovpoll
demonstratedthat2/3ofLeavevotersand¼ofRemainvotersbelieveittobe
wrongtorelytooheavilyonexpertsandthatitisbettertorelyon“ordinary
people.”IntheUS87%ofScientistsintheAmericanAcademyofArtsand
Sciencessaythatclimatechangeiscausedbyhumansyet50%ofallUSadults
believethis.SimilarpercentagesofScientistsbelieveGMOsaresafeas
comparedto37%ofthepublic.A2012NationalScienceFoundationsurvey
foundthat26%ofAmericansdonotknowtheearthrevolvesaroundthesun.
A2015PewResearchSurveyfoundthat35%ofUSadultsdisagreewiththe
theoryofevolution.
Populismfeedsdistrustinexpertsandthecorrosiveeffecton
democracieswhenthathappenshaslongbeenforeseen.Hayekwroteaboutit
(perhapsapprovingly)in1960.“Thegreatestdangertolibertytodaycomes
fromthemenwhoaremostneededandmostpowerfulinmoderngovernment,
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namelytheefficientexpertadministratorsexclusivelyconcernedwithwhat
theyregardasthepublicgood.”Theriskisthatwefindourselvesinavicious
cycle:votershavedisengagedfrompoliticsandarenotinformingthemselves
adequatelytomakereasonedjudgements.Intheabsenceofaninformed
citizenship,technocratsandexpertsbecomedominant,trustbreaksdown
betweenvotersandexperts:expertsretreatfromthedebateandtalkonlyto
oneanother.Thedutyofuniversitiesisnottoretreat,wehaveacrucialroleto
playinbridgingthisgap,butmoreonthatinamoment.
Beliefinthefaceofcountervailingevidenceisnotthesolepreserveof
PresidentTrump’sbelovedpoorlyeducated.74%ofRepublicansintheSenate
and53%intheHousedenythevalidityofclimatechange.17%ofUSadults
believeparentsshouldbefreenottovaccinatetheirchildren.Theanti-vaccine
movementinboththeUSandtheUKexistsindependentlyofanypopulist
politics,butithasthesameantecedents.Italsohighlightsthefactthatanti-
expertsentimentisnotconfinedtothepooranddisenfranchised.The
rebellionagainstvaccinestookoffmostforciblyineducatedsuburbanareas
likeMarinCountywhere8%ofparentsrequestedexemptionsfortheir
children.Today,campaignsagainstexpertsareoftenledbypeoplewhohave
thetoolstoknowbetter.Itisdifficulttoescapetheconclusionthatthe
internetisanessentialelementinnurturinganti-expertattitudes.Theinternet
rarelygeneratesthewisdomofthecrowd.Moreoftenitfeedsconfirmation
biasamongthelike-minded.Toofrequentlyitisusedtoclaimaveneerof
knowledge,enoughtoclaimexpertise,andtochallengetheexpertiseof
establishedothers,butnotactuallyenoughtobecomeanexpert.
TherecentsurgeinPopulismisnotauniquelyBritishandAmerican
experience,ofcourse.PopulistmovementshavebeenthrivingacrossEurope.
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InFranceinthe1950sPoujadistsfoughtforthedefenceofthecommonman
againsttheeliteandthestateandhad400,000members;amongthemwas
Jean-MarielePenwhofoundedtheNationalFrontinthe1980s.Hisdaughter,
MarinelePen,justwonalmostathirdofthevoteinFranceintherunoff
Presidentialelections.InTheNetherlands,rightwingPimFortuynwas
succeededbyGeertWilders.InSpainleftwingPodemos,hasbeengarnering
popularsupport.ItalyhastheFiveStarMovement,advocatesofdirect
democracy.TheTrueFinnsgarnered18%ofthevotein2015,althoughthey
arerunningintodifficultiesthisweek.InPolandtheLawandJusticePartyhas
becometheright-winggovernment,ashadtheFideszPatyinHungary,ledby
ViktorOrban.InAustriasupportfortheAustrianFreedomPartygrewfrom5%
in‘83to27%in‘99.InGermany,theAlternativeforGermanPartyhasbeen
pollingat15%ofthevote.ThisweekendinFranceweappeartohaveseenthe
trouncingofmostofthetraditionalpartiesinthelegislativeelections.
ThecollapseofUKIP,thedefeatofMarineLePenintheFrench
PresidentialElectioninMay,andthefactthatGeertWilders’FreedomParty
didlesswellthanexpectedintheNetherlandsinApril,hascausedsometo
concludethatthehigh-watermarkofpopulisminEuropehaspassed.Itmay
have,buttheevidenceisnotclearcut.Recentdefeatsconcealthefactthat
populistpartieshavemadesizeableincreasesoverpreviouselections.LePen’s
defeatwasareliefformanybutstillrepresentedadoublingofthesupport
gainedbyherfatherwhenhecontestedthe2002presidentialelectionand
gained17.8%ofthevote.Wildersmaynothavedoneaswellasexpectedbut
hisanti-immigrationpartydidincreaseitsseatsfrom15to20.Inglehartand
Norrishavedemonstratedthatonaverageoverthepast50yearspopulists
increasedtheirshareofseatsfrom4%to13%.
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Someconsolationisderivedbyopponentsfromthefactthatthosewho
supportedtheBrexitcampaignandcandidateTrumparedisproportionately
oldandtheconclusionisdrawnthatsupportwillnaturallydecline.Againthe
signsarenotsoclear.50%ofyoungvotersvotedeitherforLePenorthehard
leftJeanLucMelenchoninthefirstroundoftheFrenchPresidentialelection.
In1995,16%of16-24yearoldsintheUSthoughtthatdemocracywasabad
waytorunthecountry.Thatfigurein2011was24%.Thereissomeevidence
tosuggestthatMillennials,resentfulofthestarkereconomicrealitiesthey
face,arelessattachedtodemocracythantheirparents.Apaperpublishedin
JanuarybyFoaandMounkchartedtheriseinsupportacrosstheworldover
thepast25yearsfor:“havingastrongleaderwhodoesnothavetobother
withparliamentaryelections”.Lastweek’sgeneralelectionhascertainly
demonstratedthepoweroftheyouthvote-almost70%of18-24yearolds
appeartohavevotedforLabourwhetherinsupportoftheanti-establishment
Corbyn,orinoppositiontoBREXIT,orboth,isnotyetentirelyclear.
TheclaimbyNorrisandInglehartthatpopulismrepresents“acultural
backlash,aretroreactionbyoncepredominantsectorsofthepopulationto
progressivevaluechange”issupportedbyarecentanalysisbyPodobniketal.
Theyexaminetheeffectofimmigrationonanti-globalistsentiment.Analysing
polldatainEUcountriesaffectedbytheimmigrationcrisis,theyfindthatthe
percentageofright-wingpopulistvotersinagivencountrydependsonthe
prevalenceofimmigrantsinthiscountry’spopulation,aswellasthetotal
immigrationintotheEU.Moreover,theyfindthattheincreaseinright-wing
voterssignificantlysurpassesthelevelofimmigration,implyingthatifthe
processcontinues,right-wingpopulismislikelytoprevailpolitically.
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SteveBannonisseenastheevilgeniusbehindDonaldTrump’svictory.
HeorchestratedthetransformationfromTrump,theself-promotingdeal-
maker,toTrumptheself-promotingpopulist.Hehasdescribedhisroleinteam
Trumpas:“ThomasCromwellinthecourtoftheTudors”.Thisisnotan
auspiciousallusionforuniversities,asitwasCromwellwhoorchestratedthe
dissolutionofthemonasteriesandthevisitations(orpurges)ofuniversities
andcollegesin1535,leadingtothedestructionofagreatmanybooks,and
leavingOxfordwithoutalibrary,untilThomasBodley’sdonationin1602.
Inthepresidentialelection,theoldadagethattruthisthefirstcasualty
ofwarmayhavebeendisplacedbytruthbeingthefirstcasualtyofpolitical
campaigns.OxfordUniversityPressnamedtheterm“post-truth”theWordof
theYear.Emotion,notevidence,appearstohavebeenmoreinfluentialin
swayingvoters.Trumpvoters,forexample,believedbyamarginof69to12
thatthemultiplewomenwhoaccusedDonaldTrumpofmakingunwanted
advancestothemwerelyingtohurtthecampaign.Clintonsupportersbelieved
thembyamarginof83to7.InarecentinterviewChristianeAmanpourasked
HillaryClintonwhethershethoughtmisogynyplayedaroleinherdefeat.
Googlesearchesforthewordmisogynypromptlyrose10,000%.AsClinton
incredulouslysaidtoareporter:“Sixmonthsafterthepresidentialelectionand
peoplestilldon’tknowwhatmisogynymeans!”Confrontedwithevidence,for
exampleonthesizeofthecrowdsathisinauguration,Trumpsimplydismisses
inconvenientfactasfakenews,andhisfollowersbelievehim.Thisisa
dangeroustime,andnotjustforexpertsanduniversities.
OneofthemoststrikingfeaturesoftheUSPresidentialelectionandthe
UKReferendumonmembershipoftheEUistheanalysisofvotingpatterns.
ThesinglebiggestpredictorofavoteforBrexitandavoteforDonaldTrump
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wasnotincome,ageorracebuteducationalattainment.IntheUKonequarter
ofuniversitygraduatesvotedtoLeavetheEUwhereasthreequartersofthose
withnopost-secondaryqualificationsvotedtoLeave.Similarly,75%ofwhite
peoplewithnocollegedegreevotedforDonaldTrump.ANovemberheadline
intheAtlanticMagazinecapturedthereality:“America’sEducationalDivide
PutTrumpintheWhiteHouse”.
Evencontrollingforraceandincometheconcentrationofcollege
degreeswasthestrongestindicatorofwhetheracountyvotedforTrump.
Educationlevelmatteredmorethananythingelse,evenwhencontrollingfor
economicfactors.MorecollegegraduatesinacountyhurtTrump’svotemore
thanhavingalargerAsianpopulation,morethanhavingalargerHispanic
population,morethanhavingalargerblackpopulation.Educationcouldbea
proxyforeconomicfactors,ofcourse,buttheeducationgappersistedeven
whencontrollingforacounty’smedianincome,itsindustrialbase,and
whetherithadlostlocalmanufacturingjobs.Whilewhiteworkingclassmales
hadlongbeenTrump’sbaseofsupport,moneyandracedidnotdecidethe
election,educationleveldid.
SimilarpatternsappliedintheBrexitvote.Thosewithpostgraduate
qualificationsvoted75/25forRemain.Thosewholeftschoolwithout
qualificationsvoted73/27forLeave.Classandagemattered,buteducation
matteredfarmore.Ingeneral,areaswitholderandpoorervoterstended
towardsLeavewhilethosewithmoreimmigrantsandmorecollegeeducated
voterstendedtoRemainbut,byfarthestrongestindicatorwaseducation.This
isanentirelynewphenomenon.Thiseducationaldividecouldhaveportentous
ramifications.Ithasthepotentialtounderminethebondsthathold
representativedemocracytogether.Thesebondsrelyontrust,andassume
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certainsharedvalueslikerespectforknowledge.Ifknowledgeisperceivedas
simplyaperkoftheplutocracytheunderlyingconsensus,thebasisoftruston
whichdecisionsaremade,couldbeerodedevenendangered.
Universities
WhatareUniversitiestodointhissituation?
Inshort,Ibelievethatuniversitiesshouldrespondbystandingourgroundand
doingwhatwedobest:pushingatthefrontiersofknowledgeandeducating
thenextgeneration.Indoingso,however,wemustbemoreengaged,more
willingtopersuade,andremainirrevocablytruetoourprinciples.
Itisover150yearssinceCardinalNewmansetoutargumentsforaliberal
education,argumentsthatarerepeatedtoday.HisbookTheIdeaofa
Universityisoftenincorrectlythoughttomakethecaseforacloistered
university,apureseatoflearningseparatefromtheworldaroundit.He
wrote:
“IfthenaUniversityisadirectpreparationforthisworld,letitbewhatit
professes.ItisnotaConvent,itisnotaSeminary;itisaplacetofitmenofthe
worldfortheworld.Wecannotpossiblykeepthemfromplungingintothe
world,withallitswaysandprinciplesandmaxims,whentheirtimecomes;but
wecanpreparethemagainstwhatisinevitable;anditisnotthewaytolearn
toswimintroubledwaters,nevertohavegoneintothem.”
Newman,likeJohnStuartMillwritingaroundthesametime,believedinthe
moralpurposeoftheuniversity.MillwroteeloquentlyinhisRectorialaddress
atStAndrewsoftheelevationofspiritthatattendseducationandofthe
purposeofaUniversitybeingnottoproduceskilledlawyersandshoemakers
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butthoughtfulandcivilizedmenwhowouldmakethemselvesgoodlawyers
andshoemakers.
Todayuniversitiestendtoshyawayfromanexplicitacknowledgementoftheir
moralpurposeandsomecritics,suchasRogerScruton,arguethatuniversities
havelostsightofitaltogether.Idon’tbelievewehave,thatweshould,orthat
wecan.
Universitiesinculcatealoveoflearningandthirstforknowledge,weraise
aspirationsandvalueachievement.Weareaplaceofcommunity,of
belonging,ofdiversityandoftolerance,aplacethatembracesratherthan
fearsdifference.Partofourrolemustbetoexportthesequalitiestotheworld
throughourstudents.
Wearealsoacommunitythatcelebratesfreedomofspeech,sowemustbe
preparedtodefenditagainstallchallengers,whethertheseareourown
studentsdemandingarightnottobeoffended,orourgovernmentdemanding
thatnon-violentextremistsbepreventedfromspeaking.Wemustdefendthe
expressionofalllegalspeechandbepreparedespeciallytodefendspeechwe
findobjectionable.Wemustnot,however,beshyaboutchallengingspeech
withwhichwedisagree.
DuringtheUSpresidentialelectionmostofusstoodaghastasweread
expletive-ladenbannersandlistenedtochantsof“lockherup”.Politiciansdid
notobjectforfearoflosingfavour,andintheknowledgethattheywouldbe
dismissedaspartisan.Themediadidnotobject,nodoubtinpartbecausethey
benefitedfinanciallyfromthecontroversy.Universitiescouldhavebeena
voiceappealingforthekindofrobustcivilitythatprevails,orshouldprevail,on
alluniversitycampuses.
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IseethefactthatthevictoriesfortheBrexitandTrumpcampaignscameasa
surprisetomostofusinuniversitiesassomethingofanindictment.Weshould
nothavebeensurprised.Ifwearetoplaytheroleweclaiminidentifying
loomingsocialandpoliticalissues,andinseekingsolutionstosocietal
problems,weshouldbethefirst,notthelast,torecognizetheirimpact.We
mustbedeeplyengagedintheworldaroundus.
Manyofourgreatuniversities,andcertainlythisone,makelegitimateclaimto
beglobalinstitutions,yetwearealsocivicandnationalonestoo.Wemustbe
engagedinourlocalcommunitysharingthebenefitsofourresources,likeour
librariesandmuseums,ensuringthatourlocalcommunitiesseeusastheir
universitytoo,andensuringthattheyrecognizetheeconomicandcultural
contributionswemaketothelocalcommunity.Fortoolonguniversitieshave
consideredthesebenefitstothecommunitytobeself-evident,butwemustbe
altogethermorefocusedonensuringthatourlocalcommunitiesparticipatein
andappreciateourcontributions.Insodoingwebringourselvescloserto
thesecommunitiesandtokeenerunderstandingofthedevelopmentstaking
placearoundus.
Wemustalsoensurethatacrossthecountryambitiousstudentsandtheir
familiescanaspiretoattendourmostselectiveuniversities.Wemustshatter
themyththatourmostselectiveuniversitiesarethepreserveofanyparticular
sectorofsociety.Itisnosecretthatthishasbeenaparticularchallengefor
Oxford.ThefactthataSuttonTruststudytellsusthat43%ofstateschool
teachersdonotrecommendOxbridgetotheirsmarteststudents,thatfocus
groupstellusthatparentsthinkwearemoreexpensive,thatmostofour
studentsareposh,polo-playingandprivatelyeducated-thesearefailuresof
communicationonourpart.
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Universitiesserveasdriversofsocialmobility.Wemustensurethatour
communitiesknowthis.Weserveasenginesoftheeconomy.Wemustensure
thatourcommunitiesknowthis.Wealsoserveasguardiansofourcultureand
generatorsofnewideasandinnovativepractices.Ifwecontinuetodoallthis,
andcontinuetoensurethatourcommunitiesunderstandourrole,wewill
continuetoplayourpartasfoundationsofourverydemocracy.
ThepopulistvotesforBrexitandTrumpareoftenexplainedastherevengeof
thosewhoarelosingouttoglobalization.Certainlywehaveallstoodbyand
watchedsilentlyasthegapbetweenrichandpoorinoursocietyhaswidened.
Itistruethatatagloballevelhunger,poverty,illiteracyanddiseasesareatan
all-timelow,butthatisoflittleconsolationtoBritishandAmericanvoterswho
seetheirjobsoutsourcedtoanothercountryorseetheirfactoryjobstakenby
lower-paidimmigrants.Noneofuswerepayingattention,confidentthatthe
influxofmigrantsimprovedtheculturalfabricofoursocietiesandenjoyingthe
benefitsoflowcostimmigrantlabour.Wewere,ineffect,toodisengaged.
Ouruniversitiescontributetoindividual,localandnationalwealth.Male
graduatesintheUKearn28%morethannon-graduatesandpay£264,000
moreintaxes.Femalegraduatesearn53%morethannon-graduatesandpay
£318,000moreintaxesovertheirworkinglives.Thebestwaytoavoid
resentmentofthisdifferentialisforeveryfamilytoknowthattheirchildren
willhaveequalaccesstoauniversityeducation.
Ouruniversities,howeverarecriticaltoourlocalandnationaleconomy.Just
myuniversityaloneadds£2.3billionoftheOxfordshireeconomy,£5.8tothe
nationaleconomyandalmost£7billiontotheglobaleconomy.A2015study
byUUKdemonstratedthattheuniversitysectorcontributesatleast£73billion
ayeartotheUKeconomyandthatforevery100peopleemployeddirectlyby
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universities117jobsarecreatedinthewidereconomy.Wecontribute2.8%of
GDPandsupport3%ofalljobs.
Universitiescanbeatthevanguardofforgingasuccessfulpost-Brexiteconomy
withanemphasisonscienceandinnovation.OverthepastdecadeOxfordhas
developedtwospinoutcompanieseverytwomonths.Overthepastyear,
thanksinparttothecreationofOSI,alargelyforeignfinancedfundof$580
milliontoinvestinOxfordIP,wehavebeenproducingspinoutcompaniesat
therateofoneafortnight.
Universitiesalsocontributetothehealthoftheindividualandthenation.
Graduatesarehealthierthannon-graduates,theyarelesslikelytodrink
heavily,tosmokeandtobeobese.A30yearoldgraduateislikelytolive
another51yearsascomparedto43yearsforanon-graduate(King’sCollege
LondonPolicyunit).Nationallywetraindoctorsandnurses.Ourmedics,
moreover,areattheforefrontofglobaleffortstofindcuresfordisease.
Criticaldevelopmentsinaddressingdiseaseandadvancinglife-saving
technologieshavebeenmadeinuniversitiesinrecentyears:coronarybypass
surgery,DNAfingerprinting,geneticengineeringandsequencing,IVF,MRIand
PolioVaccination.Indeed,arecentstudybyStephenBrintfoundthat
universitiescontributedto74%ofground-breakinginventionsandhada
leadingrolein40%ofinventionssincethe1950s.Doesthepublicknowthis?
Probablynot.Weneedtomakesurethattheydo.
Butwhatistheroleofauniversityinapost-truthworld?
Universitiesarepremisedonthebeliefthattruthisanaspirationnota
possession.Insideauniversitythereisnosuchthingasan“alternativefact.”
Factsbecomefactswhentheyaresupportedbyevidence.Butpopulismfeeds
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onmisinformationandinnuendo.Truthandopinionbecomedeliberately
blurred.Whatcanuniversitiesdotocounterthis?
Thefirstthingwecandoisteach,teachourstudentsrespectforevidence,
helpthemtodistinguishbetweenopinionandinformation,between
informationandknowledge,andbetweenknowledgeandwisdom.Equippedin
thiswaywehopetheywillentertheworldbeyondtheuniversityandbecome
advocatesforevidence-basedreason,policyanddecisionmaking.
Thistaskisbecomingmoreandmoredifficult,thankstoadvancesin
technologywhichcan,forexample,enableyouapparentlytoseeandheara
personsayingsomethingtheyneveractuallysaid.Thescaleofinformation
availableontheinternetposesotherchallenges.Sifting,analysingandsourcing
informationonthescaleatwhichitisbecomingavailable,isprovingbeyond
thecapabilityofinternetusersacrosstheglobe.Theinternetisincreasingly
outsourcingcontrolof“thetruth.”AsWikipediahasgrowntoobigforhuman
editorstomanageitstext,botshavebeencreatedtocontrolit.Insome
languages50%ofWikipediaeditsarenowmadebybots.Togiveyouan
exampleoftheimplicationsofthis.OnArabicWikipediaabothasbeen
createdwhichseeksouttheword“Palestine”andchangesitto“Palestinian
Territories”.Anotherbothasbeendesignedtoseekoutreferencesto
“PalestinianTerritories”andchangethemto“Palestine”.Ifyouweretoregard
Wikipediaasthetruth,theversionofitthatyouseewoulddependonwhich
bothadlastvisitedthesiteyouconsulted.Asinformationincreasingly
becomesdigitalthedangersofallowingtechnologiestotamperwithrecords
arereadilyapparent.
Thediscoveryofnewfacts,newtechnologies,newtruthsineffect,iscriticalto
thestatusandreputationofuniversities.Unlessuniversitiescontinueto
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operateatthefrontiersofknowledgetheirreputationwilldeclineandpublic
trustdiminish.Thethreattotheplaceofuniversitiescouldcomefroma
declineinpublicfunding,aspoliticiansreflectthepublic’slackoffaithin
universitiesontheonehand,andtheexponentialgrowthofcommercially
fundedresearch.AlreadytodaymajortechnologycompanieslikeMicrosoft,
GoogleandFacebookarebiggerplayersinresearchthantheUSgovernment
evenbeforePresidentTrump’sproposedcutstogovernmentagencies.Itis
imperativethatuniversitiesengageinblue-skiesresearchasthatiswherethe
mostimportantdiscoveriesareoftenmade,butthecommercialbenefitisfar
fromevidentatthetime.
Conclusion
Universitiestodayremainmoretrustedthanotherpartsoftheestablishment.
Weshouldtakeadvantageofthisfact.ThelatestEdelmanTrustBarometer
foundthat60%ofacademicsexpertswereconsideredextremelyorvery
credibleascomparewith37%ofCEOsand29%pfgovernmentofficials.
Universitiesmustbecomefierceandobjectiveguardiansofknowledgeand
allowopenaccesstothatknowledge.Wemustnotbeshyaboutchallenging
falsehoodcomingfromanydirection,beinganationalfactchecker,ineffect.
Theabilitytodosoiscorrelatedtothepublic’sfaithinourwillingnesstobe
objectiveandfairminded.Wemustnotbecomehandmaidensofthe
government.Itisnotultimatelyinthenationalinterestthatwedoso.We
mustpreserveourautonomyandbepreparedtospeaktruthtopower.We
must,aboveall,haveuncompromisingstandardsofscholarship
Wemusttellthetruthandbepreparetosaywhatotherswon’t.Weshould
engageobjectivelyinnationaldebates.Weshouldbepreparedtosay,for
example,thatthebiggestthreattonationaljobscomesnotfromtrade,but
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fromautomation.(AnOxfordMartinSchoolstudyrecentlyargues47%ofall
jobsareatriskofbeingautomatedinthenext20years.)Weshouldbe
preparedtotalkabouttheriskofterrorism,thenatureofrisk,andthe
likelihoodofanyindividualsbeingkilledbyterrorismasacounterto
sensationalistmediahype.Weshouldpresentevidenceofclimatechange.
Wemustalsodemystifytheotherandeducateaboutthenatureofforeign
religionsandcultures.Acravenmediaand/orpoliticianswillundoubtedlytry
todelegitimizeusifwemakeclaimsthatdon’tsuitthem,butwemustbeseen
tobeobjective.Wemustnotallowcensorshipofanykindinouruniversities.
Weshouldrecognizethatwehavebeenbeneficiariesoftherisinginequalityin
oursociety,andwehavebeenapartytoit.Weoccupyaveryprivileged
position,weshoulddemonstratethatwedeserveit.
Wemustnotonlybepreparedtospeakout,wemustfigureoutawaytobe
heard,notjustbyothermembersoftheelitebutbysocietyatlarge.
Finally,I’dliketoclosebyreturningtoSenatorFulbright.Heoncewiselysaid:
“Creativeleadershipandliberaleducation,whichinfactgotogether,arethe
firstrequirementsforahopefulfutureforhumankind.”
Andwhathesaidofhisexchangeprogrammecouldwellbesaidofuniversities
today:
“Theyarenopanaceabuttheyprovideanavenueofhope.”