An Ideological View of College: A Textual Analysis of Republican Party Platforms from 1948 to 2020

Political policies reflect values. Mixed and complex public opinion regarding the value of a college education within the United States makes establishing a consistent policy for higher education in America challenging. Various policies have been implemented to increase access to college and make it more affordable. With the passage of the G.I. Bill in 1944, college was viewed as accessible and beneficial to the average American. By 1970, there were indications within the Republican Party that this positive view was being reassessed. This mixed-method corpus-linguistics study examined Republican Party Platforms from 1948 to 2016 to assess potential shifts in the view of college held by the Republican Party. These results suggest an increase in the number of references to college, an increasing trend in the negative sentiment of those references, and a growing reference to concerns with the ideology operating in and around college education. The Republican Party’s concern with the ideology of higher education started with how colleges are accredited and have transformed into a broader concern with college administration and campus dynamics. This evolution contrasts with the more progressive and inclusive positions toward college staked in earlier Republican Party platforms. Understanding this shift in focus by the Republican Party is of interest to those committed to defending the liberal tradition of college education in America.