With President Eisgruber personally leading the academic “resistance” against the Trump administration’s attack on elite universities, Princeton launched a campaign, announced in the Daily Princetonian on May 2, that “encourages alumni, faculty, students, and friends to make their voices heard in support of higher education during this challenging period.” Stand Up for Princeton and Higher Education aims to deputize a cadre of the most influential Americans – Princetonians themselves – who tend to have strong nostalgia for their alma mater, not merely to pay it forward to future Princetonians through donations but to become a kind of political force defending the university in Washington.
Economists are fond of pointing out that once a corporation grows sufficiently large its business model shifts from increasing scale or efficiency towards lobbying. (Bill Gates famously told Mark Zuckerberg to open his DC office as soon as he could, largely for this reason.) Once a business is sufficiently entrenched, it will seek to preserve its market share by entangling itself in politics and trying to fend off competition. A version of that dynamic appears to be at play now in higher education. Princeton and its approximately $35 billion endowment are deploying an army of graduate-lobbyists to “oppose the increase to the endowment tax,” among other agenda items, showing the government that Princeton must be left untouched. Thus, the name: Stand Up For Princeton – for its ability to continue going about its business just as it has until now.
Of course, imploring Princetonians to stand up for Old Nassau begs the question: In what way? For what elements of Princeton’s operations? Surely the government is not trying to abolish Princeton. And surely even President Eisgruber and his staunchest defenders would not contend that Princeton has handled its affairs perfectly. Should we stand up for the university even if the government has a point because Princeton has serious problems that call into question its dedication to the nation’s service?
Continue reading the entire piece here at Princetonians for Free Speech
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Tal Fortgang is an adjunct fellow at the Manhattan Institute. He was a 2023 Sapir Fellow.
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