Over 70 percent of donations made by Washington University faculty and staff this election cycle have gone to liberal candidates or causes, by some estimations supporting the commonly held image of a liberal-minded academia.
According to records posted on www.fecinfo.com, of the 194 records showing donors who reported an affiliation with the University and who donated $200 or more to a political campaign, 72 percent donated money to Democratic candidates, while 18 percent supported Republican causes. These numbers are not as high as those from other institutions such as Harvard University, where 95 percent of donations went to the Kerry campaign.
Through July, the FEC showed $25,900 donated to the Kerry campaign by University officials while $17,250 went to the Bush campaign. Faculty and staff in total gave over $125,000 this election cycle to a variety of candidates and political action committees.
The question of how these donations and the fact that this information remains highly transparent affects the classroom dynamic remains to be seen, but it still is an issue on the minds of faculty and students alike.
Professor Andrew Rehfeld, who donated to the Kerry campaign and to Congressional candidate Jeff Smith, noted that his contributions aren’t necessarily students’ business and he does not want to be part of their equation when they think critically about political issues.
“The professor’s role is to make students think critically,” Rehfeld said. “During the Clinton administration, many students thought I was a Republican, but now in the Bush Administration many think I’m a Democrat. It’s important that students hear [professors] being critical of those in power.”
Junior Jackie Graves, president of College Republicans, said that that records of contributions by faculty show that the University is more liberal-minded.
“Professors have a right to contribute to any political campaign they choose,” Graves said. “I just hope they don’t use their classrooms as a place to push their political agendas.”
On the other side, many students find the fact that University officials are active in the political process a good thing that often enriches the dialogue in the classroom, and they hope it continues.
Nicole Soussan, president of the College Democrats, echoed this sentiment and feels that University professors should not feel like they have to limit their involvement in the political process because they are in a more public role in a university setting.
“As a political science student, I appreciate that the professors I’m learning from not only teach the process, but actively participate in it, as well,” Soussan said. “Contributing to a campaign whether monetarily or by volunteering is not only a good way to get involved but also a fundamental right of freedom of speech.”
While University faculty and staff gave more money to the Kerry campaign, many of the donations given to the Bush campaign came in larger sums. Executive Vice Chancellor David Blasingame gave $1,000 to Bush, and seven individuals donated the individual maximum of $2,000. Blasingame and other Bush and Kerry contributors contacted by Student Life did not return calls for comments.
Local Connections
Although individuals affiliated with the University contributed significantly to presidential candidates and national political committees, a large number of the donations went to state and local candidates such as Kit Bond, Nancy Farmer, Jeff Smith and Mark Smith.
Both Mark and Jeff Smith are affiliated with the University. Mark Smith, who teaches in the law school, received $17,231 from donors within the University while Jeff Smith, an adjunct instructor in University College, received $13,953.
The majority of the donations to candidates falls under $2000, but many individuals give more than once. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 limited the amount of money that an individual could give. Now, only $2,000 can be donated to a candidate, $25,000 to a political party, or $5,000 to a political action committee per year.
Some argue that instead of giving money directly to a candidate’s campaign committee, more money is funneled to 527 organizations. These non-profit organizations are not limited by the law in the amounts of money they are permitted to accept.
For more information, see www.fecinfo.com.