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But a massive new network of high-quality federal universities-paid for and run by Uncle
Sam-would sidestep this problem entirely.
The federal government is not only not debt-constrained, its borrowing capacity is hundreds
of times greater than any state's could ever be. The federal government completely
shouldering a big new university system would put this system on the soundest possible
economic footing-while at the same time, it might conceivably ease some of the strain on
state systems. (Then we might say any state that makes its colleges tuition-free will see the
feds pick up 100 percent of the tab.)
As Lyman Stone details (https://medium.com/migration-issues/we-need-more-universities-
96e734eed612), there have been almost no new high-quality universities built since the
1980s, despite the fact that demand for higher education has increased tremendously since
then. There have been a lot of for-profit schools springing up to fill the demand, but these
are generally lousy if not outright predatory.
A Boost for Local Economies
Big new federal universities would also have a handy economic development side benefit. If
we aim for that initial capacity of 10 universities with 50,000 students each, we could then
place them in 10 cities badly in need of an economic lift. Think Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis,
New Orleans, Jackson, El Paso, and so on and give each one a permanent anchor of
population, jobs, and tax revenue. As Stone demonstrates in another article
(https://medium.com/migration-issues/appalachia-is-dying-pikeville-is-not-fa583dac67de),
even relatively small universities can reap a substantial economic benefit. The small town of
Pikeville in remote Appalachia is bucking regional trends of decline due to the University of
Pikeville there.
And it's not just the fact of having lots of mouths to feed at local restaurants and such.
Universities make it far easier for locals to get educated, boost local professions, develop
regional R&D, and help in hundreds of other ways. Studies demonstrate that universities
throw off huge quantities of broad regional benefits—as well as national ones. A modern
economy simply must have a high-quality secondary education and research system.
The liberal approach to problems like this is often to dream up some complicated incentive
program to coax private actors into providing some public good (see: ObamaCare). This is
why we have subsidized college loans, tax breaks for private colleges, and so on. The
benefits of these schemes are, as often as not, partially captured by those actors—if not
outright stolen (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/13/business/for-profit-colleges-accused-of-
fraud-still-receive-us-funds.html).
A more direct approach is the better one. If we want to provide a good education to millions
of future Americans, let's just do it. If you want something very big done very quickly, and
there's no profit in it, you can't beat good old Big Government.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Cooper, Ryan. "The United States Needs a Federal University System." Opposing
Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
18.4.28P
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The United States Needs a Federal University System
Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection. 2018.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Gale, a Cengage Company
Full Text:
Article Commentary
"A modern economy simply must have a high-quality secondary education and
research system.
Ryan Cooper is a national correspondent at The Week.com. His work has appeared in the
Washington Monthly, the New Republic, and the Washington Post. In the following
viewpoint, Cooper argues for the creation of a tuition-free federalized higher education
system in the United States as a solution to some of the sector's biggest problems. He
contends that a system of ten large research universities funded by taxpayers and
managed by a single federal body would reduce student loan debt, protect against
administrative overstaffing, and help to create more equitable working conditions within
higher education. Cooper stresses that a federal university system would not treat
students as consumers, thereby eliminating the funneling of resources into nonacademic
vanity projects, such as luxury exercise facilities, undertaken to attract the consumer-
student.
As you read, consider the following questions:
1. Why does Cooper depict Senator Bernie Sanders's plan for achieving
tuition-free college as impractical?
2. According to the author, how would a federal university system benefit local
economies?
3. Do you agree with the author's assertion that the federal government should
provide universal access to higher education? Why or why not?
America's higher education system is hopelessly broken. And everyone knows it.
Developments like the rise of exploitative and lousy for-profit colleges, the explosion in
student debt, and the endless rise in tuition costs as states cut education subsidies--not to
mention the assault on higher education in the Republican tax reform plan-have led many
Americans, including last year's Democratic runner-up Bernie Sanders, to call for "tuition-
free" college.
This is a worthy idea. But it would make a lot more sense coupled to another bold policy: a
huge new network of free federal universities.
Free Federal Universities
IN
W340/Tzou
Pre-Exam Reading Assignment:
The following is an article by Ryan Cooper on the topic of creating a tuition-free
federal university system. Read through his article, think about your feelings on
the issue, and think about why you believe what you do. Be on time and prepared
for the exam with a paper dictionary and 2 pens (blue/black ink). Remember to
bring your annotated copy of the article.
W340/Tzou
Pre-Exam Reading Assignment:
The following is an article by Ryan Cooper on the topic of creating a tuition-free
federal university system. Read through his article, think about your feelings on
the issue, and think about why you believe what you do. Be on time and prepared
for the exam with a paper dictionary and 2 pens (blue/black ink). Remember to
bring your annotated copy of the article.
W340/Tzou
Pre-Exam Reading Assignment:
The following is an article by Ryan Cooper on the topic of creating a tuition-free
federal university system. Read through his article, think about your feelings on
the issue, and think about why you believe what you do. Be on time and prepared
for the exam with a paper dictionary and 2 pens (blue/black ink). Remember to
bring your annotated copy of the article.