Study States that Conservative Academics Experience Peer Pressure and Discrimination

IBL News | New York

A new study that investigates authoritarianism and political discrimination among colleges and universities, shows that a “majority of conservative academics experience a hostile environment for their beliefs in U.S., Canadian, and British universities.” 

“A significant portion of academics discriminate against conservatives in hiring, promotion, grants, and publications. Over 4 in 10 US and Canadian academics would not hire a Trump supporter, and 1 in 3 British academics would not hire a Brexit supporter.”

However, most professors do not back “cancel culture” in its most authoritarian forms.

The study, titled “Academic Freedom in Crisis: Punishment, Political Discrimination, and Self-Censorship”, was authored by Dr. Eric Kaufmann, professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London.

According to the data of the research, in the U.S., “over a third of conservative academics and Ph.D. students have been threatened with disciplinary action for their view, while 70% of conservative academics report a hostile departmental climate for their beliefs.”

• Summary of the Report
• Full Report (PDF)