Liberals dominate nearly 2/3 of political events at Tufts

A Campus Reform survey of official events at Tufts University shows that out of 103 speakers during the 2016-2017 academic year, only seven were conservative or or conservative-leaning.

The survey was based on official university calendars, and identified 103 speakers hosted on campus between August 2016 and May 2017 who either addressed politically controversial topics or are known for their political views.

Of those events, 67 featured liberal topics or presenters, while another 29 did not demonstrate any discernible bias.

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The events ranged from small-scale lunches, to panels, to the annual Commencement ceremony. Many speakers were academic experts in a variety of fields, others were professors, and some were politicians and public figures.

Campus Reform determined each speaker’s political leanings based on their organizational affiliations, published work, and public statements. Speakers who were invited to campus by student groups, but not officially promoted by the university, were excluded from consideration.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, former Chief of Staff to George W. Bush Andrew Card, and journalist Lester Holt were among the notable conservative speakers. All three spoke at large-scale events on campus, while the other conservative speakers spoke at smaller gatherings like lunches and panels.

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The 67 left-leaning speakers represented a wide variety of professions and fields, and included Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, Democratic strategists David Axelrod and Joe Trippi, former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Congressman Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts, and many others.

Lesser-known speakers who likewise fell under the liberal category addressed topics such as “White Rage,” “Fascism in the White House,” and “Jews and the Revival of White Supremacist Politics.”

Campus Reform's Campus Speaker Index analyzes official university calendars to determine which speaking engagements were expressly organized and hosted by the university. The index does not include any events that were hosted by student groups and outside organizations.

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