US Universities in the Age of Trump: Is There a Way to Prevent Their Long-Term Decline?

Abstract The paper begins with a discussion of the attacks of the Trump Administration on US universities and why these attacks are likely to place the USA at a disadvantage in international economic competition. The paper describes the essential role universities play in economic growth both as a producer of technological innovations and as the primary source of education for workers who require academic skills and technical expertise. The paper also discusses the extent to which universities have inadvertently contributed to the circumstances in which they find themselves. With this context in mind, the paper focuses on what university leaders can do in response to Trump Administration actions. I argue that universities should pool a small amount of their resources to remind the public of the benefits they bring to the American economy and society. They should also repair what needs to be repaired in their operations, including cutting back on senior administration and student affairs staff; working to reduce the burdens imposed by the expansion of state and federal regulation; and re-assessing the costs and benefits associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion policies. By doing so, US universities can address the most persistent public concerns and perhaps reduce the likelihood that they will suffer long-term decline. Nevertheless, given the divergent interests of universities, such a decline, together with a degree of reshuffling of the status hierarchy, remains the most likely outcome of the Trump Administration’s attacks.