Higher Ed as Spectator: IHE article

[dismalist]

There has been a lot of talk in the social science world about how academics need make their voices heard in policy circles.

If these voices are presenting evidence-based and expertise-informed insights, then this is a good idea. On the other hand, if they're merely presenting ideologically-driven lobbying, then they're just like other lobbyists. (Think of all of the celebrities weighing in on all kinds of topics about which they have no more knowledge than the average citizen, and yet feel they deserve to be listened to more than other people merely because they have an unrelated skill that is popular.)

But academics in the social sciences pretty much have the same political views. So asking one per field would be sufficient. :-)

[Sun_Worshiper]

There has been a lot of talk in the social science world about how academics need make their voices heard in policy circles.

If these voices are presenting evidence-based and expertise-informed insights, then this is a good idea. On the other hand, if they're merely presenting ideologically-driven lobbying, then they're just like other lobbyists. (Think of all of the celebrities weighing in on all kinds of topics about which they have no more knowledge than the average citizen, and yet feel they deserve to be listened to more than other people merely because they have an unrelated skill that is popular.)

But academics in the social sciences pretty much have the same political views. So asking one per field would be sufficient. :-)

I know this is a joke, but just fyi it is far from true. For example, economists and some political scientists are traditionally rather conservative.