The recent election victories of socialist and progressive candidates in New York, Michigan and Minnesota, along with Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong’s narrow loss in Wisconsin, highlight the changing political and economic attitudes of a growing segment of Americans.Perhaps most surprising is the constituency driving this movement: younger, college-educated voters.Recent analysis shows support for Democratic Socialist candidates particularly strong among highly educated younger voters.
By contrast, support among working-class voters without a college degree is weaker, despite these candidates’ emphasis on policies intended to benefit working-class households.There is no shortage of explanations for the recent rise in support for socialism among young college graduates.Conservatives emphasize ideological capture within universities.
Progressives emphasize housing affordability and economic insecurity.Both likely play a role, but these results raise a more fundamental issue.
Higher education has spent decades encouraging students to engage in political and economic debates without first ensuring that they possess the foundational knowledge to adequately evaluate those debates.Hence, before students decide what they believe about capitalism and socialism or vote to reform America's political and economic systems, they should first understand how our systems actually work.FOX NEWS POLL: FAITH IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE US IS COLLAPSINGOne promising response has been the emergence of schools devoted to civic education.
These schools seek to restore serious study of history, constitutional government, economics and the traditions of self-government to undergraduate education.Their main purpose is not to produce historians, political scientists, philosophers or economists.
Rather, they seek to prepare graduates for lives of informed citizenship and responsible leadership.Graduates will go into numerous fields, including business, medicine, law and politics.
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