Public Policy and Administration to Deal with the Culture Wars

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Charles Mason
September 5, 2025

Walk onto a college campus today and you can feel the tension. Free speech rallies clash with counter-protests. Guest speakers face petitions before they arrive. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements earn praise from some and frustration from others. Higher education feels less like a place of learning and more like a battleground in America’s culture wars.

At the heart of this conflict is viewpoint diversity. The principle is simple: institutions are stronger when students are exposed to many perspectives and challenged to evaluate them with evidence. Yet the phrase has been hollowed out. It is treated as a political tool, mocked as partisan theater or dismissed as dangerous. Universities need to restore viewpoint diversity as an academic commitment, not a weapon in the culture wars.

What makes the news is not classrooms full of debate but viral clips of students shouting down speakers or influencers cornering undergraduates with “gotcha” questions. Free inquiry becomes performance and disagreement turns into spectacle. Students come to believe disagreement is only meant to inflame. Professors avoid complex topics to stay out of controversy. Administrators respond with rules that aim to prevent unrest but often suppress authentic dialogue. Everyone loses. Universities damage their credibility and students miss the chance to practice the civic skills democracy requires.

A significant source of tension comes from the clash between DEI programs and meritocracy. Critics argue that DEI sometimes enforces conformity and stifles dissent. Supporters insist it is the only way to correct historical exclusion. Both perspectives hold truth. But equity without standards leads to mediocrity while merit without fairness locks privilege in place. Colleges need both. A fair system gives every student a chance but success should be tied to performance. Balancing access with rigor strengthens institutions and ensures genuine diversity of thought. Without that balance, inclusion becomes symbolic rather than substantive.

Public policy and administration provide a valuable lens for addressing these challenges. These fields exist to design and carry out initiatives that serve society, and their hallmarks map directly onto higher education. Policy begins with the public interest, and universities must likewise serve the common good by preparing citizens to handle disagreement constructively. Policy follows a systematic process; colleges need explicit norms for dialogue, not quick fixes when controversies erupt. Policymaking involves stakeholders, and universities should do the same by engaging students, faculty, alumni and employers. Evidence informs policy decisions, and institutions should measure how exposure to diverse perspectives improves learning. Transparency and accountability build trust in government; higher education should be equally open about how it protects free inquiry while ensuring respect. Finally, policy adapts to changing times. Just as climate policy has shifted toward renewable energy, universities must adjust their practices for a digital age without losing substance.

The goals of public policy also apply to universities. Policy aims to solve problems, and institutions should tackle polarization by teaching students to engage rather than withdraw. Policy promotes equity, and colleges must guarantee fair intellectual access to debate. Policy enhances efficiency, and universities should maintain viewpoint diversity efforts in a natural manner rather than adopting a bureaucratic approach. Policy fosters stability, and higher education should build lasting cultures of inquiry that generate trust. Policy encourages participation, and universities thrive when students are active and respectful participants in campus life.

In the culture wars, silencing is often mistaken for victory. Canceling a speaker or labeling a viewpoint harmful may feel like success, but silencing only buries conflict instead of resolving it. Worse, it leaves students unprepared for civic life, where compromise and negotiation are constant. Suppose universities want to live up to their mission. In that case, they must follow the same values that guide public administration: put the public interest first, balance fairness with efficiency, foster stability and encourage participation. Viewpoint diversity is not a partisan slogan. It is a civic skill, and teaching is one of higher education’s most important responsibilities.

Colleges today face a choice. They can let culture warriors define viewpoint diversity as provocation or threat. Alternatively, they can take ownership by integrating it into classrooms, research and faculty culture. The more challenging the road, the better, as it rebuilds trust in education. By applying lessons from public administration, universities can restore viewpoint diversity as the heart of learning. That means classrooms where evidence matters more than ideology, dialogue is encouraged and standards are balanced with access.

The culture wars may dominate the headlines but universities do not have to be consumed by them. By recommitting to viewpoint diversity—not as spectacle but as scholarship—colleges can prepare students for life in a pluralistic society. That is how higher education serves the public good, and that mission is too critical to abandon.

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Author: Charles Mason, Ph.D., is a graduate of Walden University in Public Policy and Administration specializing in Criminal Justice. He is also a graduate of Barry University with a BPA and an MPA and a graduate of Vincennes University with a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Public Safety. He has over 30 years of experience in security, local law enforcement, state corrections and military service. He is currently the president of Mason Academy. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: https://twitter.com/DRCharlesMason

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