Critical race theory. Gender theory. Diversity, equity and inclusion. 

In recent years, we’ve heard these buzzwords thrown around by political commentators. These terms were intended to refer to academic frameworks about sociological concepts, yet we’ve become accustomed to hearing about them in political discourse. For example, Heritage Action, a conservative political advocacy organization, labels these ideas as “destructive” to America and calls for them to be banned; they allege that these theories have a “grip” on all aspects of the country and must be defeated.  

Yet, these are simply academic concepts — they’re the benign product of researchers finding ways to understand history and society. However, the growing contingent that rails against whatever the newest buzzword is doesn’t really care for this research. For instance, Mathew Gagnon, a strategist for the Maine Policy Institute, has denied the value of credentialed expertise on these topics and views the most well-educated as “hopelessly clueless.”  

The movement against these academic theories stems from deeply held political beliefs. Opposition to CRT arises from resistance to addressing systemic racism; opposition to gender theory reflects resistance to transgender rights; and opposition to DEI stems from opposition to more inclusive practices. Yet the rallying cry against these academic terms underscores a darker trend in our political culture — one that runs deeper than political debates. This movement is not just an attack on a specific theory, but an attack on the premise of using research to better understand the world. An attack on the premise of higher education. 

The rage against academia extends beyond just the sociological concepts mentioned above — it’s pervasive throughout contemporary culture. This anti-intellectualism is hurting America and must be addressed. 

The current wave of anti-intellectualism can be traced back to the COVID-19 pandemic. The percentage of Americans with little or no confidence in scientists has been rising since, with only a slight downturn in 2024, according to a Pew Research study. This sentiment was reflected by mass protests against quarantine orders and other public health measures during the pandemic. Those policies were agreed upon and recommended by experts in the field — licensed doctors. Of course, these experts did make some minor mistakes, which they later acknowledged, but their broader public health message was legitimate and grounded in science. Still, much of that guidance was ignored.  

While some commentators attempted to counter the well-established science with opposing viewpoints based on reason, much of the sentiment stemmed from a broader distaste for perceived elitism. The scientific establishment is often seen as elitist — not a desirable label in today’s era of populism. The same perspective applies to CRT, gender theory and DEI: These are, supposedly, elitist ideas perpetuated by “haughty intellectuals.” The anti-intellectualism of today is fueled by the logic of anti-elitism. 

To an extent, this perspective has its merits. College is undeniably expensive, and the general cost of attendance has risen precipitously in recent years. As a result, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are often priced out of higher education. Furthermore, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study found that people who attain doctoral degrees tend to have educated parents and come from more affluent families. Given this socioeconomic privilege, it may seem logical to designate academics as “elites.” However, while inequity in access to higher education is a serious concern, it does not diminish the value of the research produced within academia. 

It’s worth looking into the perpetrators behind the vilification of academia. Koch Industries, which runs oil refineries and pipelines, funded groups that spread inaccurate and misleading information about climate change, undermining scientific research on the dangers of fossil fuels that instigate the climate crisis. From 2005 to 2008 alone, the company donated $25 million to organizations denying the threat of climate change. Funding the movement to dispute scientific evidence for climate change helped this environmentally unfriendly megacorporation by reducing support for regulations on it. David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers who own 84% of Koch Industries, also put their money into propping up think tanks such as the Manhattan Institute and Heritage Foundation, which oppose academia more broadly. Fostering distrust in academic institutions allows these billionaires to shape the public narrative themselves, even when their version of reality contradicts what scientific consensus shows to be true. 

Billionaire and corporate money prop up the groups that peddle anti-intellectualist narratives. This wave of anti-intellectualism, therefore, isn’t truly anti-elitism — it’s elitism in and of itself. The real elites we ought to be concerned about are not the professors, but the billionaires.  

This movement has been growing for decades, but this year, it reached its pinnacle. We have seen a wave of cuts to universities and research funding. The Trump administration notably eliminated the supposedly wasteful $8 million funding toward “making mice transgender,” according to the White House. In reality, this research had nothing to do with transgender people; the funding supported investigations into sex hormones and their roles in health and development — work with significant implications for conditions such as endometriosis, infertility and breast cancer, according to Americans for Medical Progress. Using the facade of opposing gender theory, the administration axed essential medical research.  

In total, it slashed $1.5 billion in federal research grants, leaving thousands of researchers unable to continue their projects on topics ranging from the energy transition to cybersecurity — Vanderbilt University Medical Center itself faced a $250 million budget cut. 

Funding cuts are devastating American science and innovation, which will only hurt us in the long run as crucial research that could advance our society is stalled. 

The research being defunded is not ideological or biased — it’s science. And these cuts are not a new phenomenon exclusive to Trump or the MAGA movement; they have their roots in decades of anti-intellectualism. The gutting of research today is the inevitable byproduct of a society that has been convinced that academia is the enemy. 

Anti-intellectualism has been on the rise in America for a while, and we can now see its consequences in the gutting of science, environmental protection and public health. Our societal distrust of academia has led to the dismissal of crucial research, and now, we are living with the fallout. To climb out of the pit of despair we find ourselves in, we must resist this trend. As students at a top-tier research institution like Vanderbilt, we have a responsibility to confront and challenge anti-intellectualism wherever it appears.