Why Harvard resistance matters for the future of democracy in US education

Time of India

26-06-2025

Trump administration's pressure on Harvard threatens academic freedom across US universities
Harvard University has found itself at the center of an intensifying conflict between academic independence and political coercion. As detailed in a powerful opinion piece published by The Harvard Crimson, professors Ryan D.
Enos and Steven Levitsky argue that Harvard's ongoing resistance to the Trump administration's demands represents more than an internal university matter—it is a critical test for the survival of democratic principles in US higher education.
Enos, a professor of Government, and Levitsky, the David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and a professor of Government, caution that the stakes go beyond Harvard's own autonomy.
They suggest that if the university capitulates, it could signal a broader erosion of academic freedom and democratic norms across the US educational landscape.
The dispute is more than a legal battle—it is a fight over academic freedom
According to The Harvard Crimson, the conflict escalated after University President Alan Garber issued a statement on April 14 defending Harvard's independence and denouncing what he described as "unlawful demands" from the federal government.
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This public stance drew strong support from students, faculty, and alumni, many of whom rallied around the university's decision to push back.
However, recent reports suggest that Harvard may be engaging in negotiations with the Trump administration—a move Enos and Levitsky argue would be a grave mistake. They describe the situation as "not a negotiation" but "authoritarian extortion," noting that the federal government is offering relief from the harm it unlawfully imposed in exchange for ideological compliance.
"The Trump administration's illegal actions imposed severe hardship on Harvard," the professors wrote, as quoted by The Harvard Crimson. "It is now offering relief from some of that illegally imposed hardship in exchange for Harvard's adoption of policies that are aligned with the government's ideology."
Federal pressure jeopardizes constitutional rights and sets a dangerous precedent
The professors point out that the Trump administration's leverage over Harvard was built on a series of unlawful actions, including the withholding of billions of dollars in congressionally approved research funding.
As The Harvard Crimson reported, Harvard's lawsuits assert that these actions violate both statutory law and the US Constitution.
Using government resources to punish a private institution for its political stance, they argue, is a clear violation of the First Amendment. "This is like negotiating the terms of a mugging," Enos and Levitsky wrote, stressing that succumbing to such tactics would embolden similar behavior toward other universities.
They warned that the consequences would extend far beyond Cambridge. "If the country's wealthiest university gives in to the government's unlawful demands, then no university will be able to resist them," they stated, as quoted in The Harvard Crimson.
The long-term cost of short-term compromise
Harvard's potential capitulation would send a chilling message to other institutions, essentially providing a blueprint for further government interference in university affairs.
The authors referenced statements from a federal official who, according to The Harvard Crimson, openly suggested that forcing Harvard into compliance would make it easier to control other institutions.
The professors also underscored the widespread sacrifices already made by the Harvard community to uphold these democratic values. Faculty members pledged parts of their salaries, alumni mobilized in support, and international students publicly risked their standing to defend academic freedom.
A defining moment for democracy and US higher education
Enos and Levitsky conclude that this is a moment of democratic reckoning. Allowing federal authorities to dictate admissions, hiring, and research priorities undermines not just institutional autonomy but the democratic structure that supports academic inquiry in the US.
As they argued in The Harvard Crimson, "American higher education has thrived precisely because we live in a free society." The decision Harvard makes now, they warn, will either reinforce that freedom or signal its gradual dismantling.
Ultimately, they urge Harvard's leaders to stay the course—not only to preserve the university's integrity but to protect the democratic principles at the foundation of US education.
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