An Analysis of the Sociocultural Perception of U.S. Higher Education and Possible Political Ramifications in State Legislatures

The value of higher education has increasingly been a subject of debate. In addition to questions of the economic value of committing to higher education, there is a growing rhetoric that argues that higher education has become an institution of indoctrination for the elite. When an institution of higher education’s association with cosmopolitan is high, does the state legislature react by allocating the institution less money? It is hypothesized that states with a citizenry that is less liberal, the higher chance that state legislatures and governors will seek to reduce funding for institutions of higher education. After examining ten states and their state appropriations from 2012-2016, there are some indications of significance and support for the hypothesis, but the results also indicate that further research is needed to complete the analysis on this subject