If I understand correctly, it’s that grants by NSF to institutions have to have a section explaining their DEI initiatives.
Grants to individual researchers now also require the DEI statement. I think the AI is not a very good analogy because:
it’s apolitical
I assume that in your example historians and cancer researchers would not lose their jobs for saying heretical things in their AI statements.
A more appropriate analogy would be abortion. Suppose the progressive admins in the NSF are replaced with Christian conservatives who replace the DEI statement with the statement on the “sanctity of life”. To get grants, all researchers must demonstrate how their work is relevant to the fight against the murder of unborn children. Those who refuse or argue in favor of pro-choice policies do not get funding and, after a few years, are forced to quit academic institutions. Would you consider this policy a restriction on the freedom of speech and conscience or just a shift in government priorities?
It would probably be more constructive if we focus on one issue at a time, so I suggest we finish this topic before discussing others.
It would probably be more constructive if we focus on one issue at a time, so I suggest we finish this topic before discussing others.
Okay.
I see all of these decision of deciding what to fund and how to fund them as political. I mean, during the last century a lot of marine research was done through the military, and that shaped what kind of research was done, and which people could do it (probably not anti-war people). I see all of these things as changing government priorities and not restrictions on freedom of speech or conscience.
On the topic of DEI statements themselves, I don’t really think it’s that productive to require them on a large scale. Many universities and research agencies motivate them by saying that it’s important for them to have a diverse base of researches to be more effective/have more perspectives or that it’s the moral thing to do, after excluding them historically. And sure, that might make sense, but I think what that means depends a lot on the scientific field and where in America it’s done. So such policies are probably better done on a more local level.
I also see that the way the Biden/Harris admin has influenced the NSF is through two executive orders (1, 2) which I don’t think is that good. If NSF changed their priority or if laws are passed to change their mandate then that’s one thing, but executive orders are pretty blunt. They also make it hard to say who to blame for things like DEI statements as the executive orders are pretty vague. As the NSF is still an independent agency, it feels like DEI statements are more something the NSF made up to promote DEI and which Biden/Harris is allowing, then something they made them do.
But if someone just dislikes DEI statements then it doesn’t matter that much why exactly they were implemented, as the important part is that Trump would probably get rid of them.
So basically, I think it’s kind of a bad policy, but not that big of a deal.
The problem is that these questions depend a lot on the details. I don’t know much about the impact of DEI statements or how they are used. I mean, the Biden/Harris administration doesn’t have a policy which is “anti-DEI scientists should be fired” or even “NSF grants should require DEI statements”. The NSF just has the mission “to promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defense”. That’s really vague, and now the Biden/Harris administration has passed some vague executive orders. But even without executive orders, the NSF could just believe that promoting DEI efforts is important to achieve their mission more effectively. They may be mistaken, but I don’t think I can have that much to say about it if I’m not well read about it. That’s why I talk so much about process and why I dislike the use of executive orders as it’s kind of a sidestep of the normal process (I think).
Basically my answer is (2), but it depends on the details and I just haven’t seen that much of an impact of these DEI statements. I just think there are differences between the candidates that are a lot more important than their impact on DEI in academia.
Choosing (2) makes you an extreme outlier among Democrats, so to be honest, it’s a little hard to believe that you thought it through very well. In your opinion, why is it so bad to replace progressive civil servants with conservatives (“our people”), but doing the same for college professors is not?
So someone who doesn’t agree with democrats hasn’t thought through what they think? That doesn’t sound right. I already said I disagree with the policy and how it’s implemented. I just think there are other things which are a lot more important.
And I don’t think choosing (2) is that weird, I just think it matters a lot what the process is to “filter out” people. Trump has said that he wants to make every executive branch employee fireable by the president. That gives a lot of power to the president, which I think is bad. I think it’s good if the government has a system of checks and balances which limits the presidents power so that the government has a more “slow” and consistent policy, so that the employees don’t feel like they are micromanaged by the President.
Fair enough. My own opinion is that, beyond hurting freedom of speech, hiring researchers based on their race, sexual orientation, and ideological compliance is doing massive damage to scientific progress and undermines the ability of research institutions to provide objective information on matters of public policy (COVID-19, AGW, etc.). However, people can indeed have different opinions on the importance of these issues.
I responded to your other questions in two separate comments.
If I understand correctly, it’s that grants by NSF to institutions have to have a section explaining their DEI initiatives.
Grants to individual researchers now also require the DEI statement. I think the AI is not a very good analogy because:
it’s apolitical
I assume that in your example historians and cancer researchers would not lose their jobs for saying heretical things in their AI statements.
A more appropriate analogy would be abortion. Suppose the progressive admins in the NSF are replaced with Christian conservatives who replace the DEI statement with the statement on the “sanctity of life”. To get grants, all researchers must demonstrate how their work is relevant to the fight against the murder of unborn children. Those who refuse or argue in favor of pro-choice policies do not get funding and, after a few years, are forced to quit academic institutions. Would you consider this policy a restriction on the freedom of speech and conscience or just a shift in government priorities?
It would probably be more constructive if we focus on one issue at a time, so I suggest we finish this topic before discussing others.
Okay.
I see all of these decision of deciding what to fund and how to fund them as political. I mean, during the last century a lot of marine research was done through the military, and that shaped what kind of research was done, and which people could do it (probably not anti-war people). I see all of these things as changing government priorities and not restrictions on freedom of speech or conscience.
On the topic of DEI statements themselves, I don’t really think it’s that productive to require them on a large scale. Many universities and research agencies motivate them by saying that it’s important for them to have a diverse base of researches to be more effective/have more perspectives or that it’s the moral thing to do, after excluding them historically. And sure, that might make sense, but I think what that means depends a lot on the scientific field and where in America it’s done. So such policies are probably better done on a more local level.
I also see that the way the Biden/Harris admin has influenced the NSF is through two executive orders (1, 2) which I don’t think is that good. If NSF changed their priority or if laws are passed to change their mandate then that’s one thing, but executive orders are pretty blunt. They also make it hard to say who to blame for things like DEI statements as the executive orders are pretty vague. As the NSF is still an independent agency, it feels like DEI statements are more something the NSF made up to promote DEI and which Biden/Harris is allowing, then something they made them do.
But if someone just dislikes DEI statements then it doesn’t matter that much why exactly they were implemented, as the important part is that Trump would probably get rid of them.
So basically, I think it’s kind of a bad policy, but not that big of a deal.
Can you clarify your answer a little? Do you consider this policy to be not that big of a deal because
it only forces anti-DEI scientists out of the academy, or
the specific ideological filter does not matter and forcing out all pro-choice and pro-DEI scientists would not be that big of a deal either.
The problem is that these questions depend a lot on the details. I don’t know much about the impact of DEI statements or how they are used. I mean, the Biden/Harris administration doesn’t have a policy which is “anti-DEI scientists should be fired” or even “NSF grants should require DEI statements”. The NSF just has the mission “to promote the progress of science, to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare, and to secure the national defense”. That’s really vague, and now the Biden/Harris administration has passed some vague executive orders. But even without executive orders, the NSF could just believe that promoting DEI efforts is important to achieve their mission more effectively. They may be mistaken, but I don’t think I can have that much to say about it if I’m not well read about it. That’s why I talk so much about process and why I dislike the use of executive orders as it’s kind of a sidestep of the normal process (I think).
Basically my answer is (2), but it depends on the details and I just haven’t seen that much of an impact of these DEI statements. I just think there are differences between the candidates that are a lot more important than their impact on DEI in academia.
Choosing (2) makes you an extreme outlier among Democrats, so to be honest, it’s a little hard to believe that you thought it through very well. In your opinion, why is it so bad to replace progressive civil servants with conservatives (“our people”), but doing the same for college professors is not?
So someone who doesn’t agree with democrats hasn’t thought through what they think? That doesn’t sound right. I already said I disagree with the policy and how it’s implemented. I just think there are other things which are a lot more important.
And I don’t think choosing (2) is that weird, I just think it matters a lot what the process is to “filter out” people. Trump has said that he wants to make every executive branch employee fireable by the president. That gives a lot of power to the president, which I think is bad. I think it’s good if the government has a system of checks and balances which limits the presidents power so that the government has a more “slow” and consistent policy, so that the employees don’t feel like they are micromanaged by the President.
Fair enough. My own opinion is that, beyond hurting freedom of speech, hiring researchers based on their race, sexual orientation, and ideological compliance is doing massive damage to scientific progress and undermines the ability of research institutions to provide objective information on matters of public policy (COVID-19, AGW, etc.). However, people can indeed have different opinions on the importance of these issues.
I responded to your other questions in two separate comments.