Dave Davies

Every department or field found to lack viewpoint diversity must be reformed by hiring a critical mass of new faculty within that department or field who will provide viewpoint diversity. That's a pretty remarkable thing for a government to demand of a university, isn't it?

Every department or field found to lack viewpoint diversity must be reformed by hiring a critical mass of new faculty within that department or field who will provide viewpoint diversity. That's a pretty remarkable thing for a government to demand of a university, isn't it?

Every department or field found to lack viewpoint diversity must be reformed by hiring a critical mass of new faculty within that department or field who will provide viewpoint diversity. That's a pretty remarkable thing for a government to demand of a university, isn't it?

I'm wondering what role, if any, you might have played in urging the administration of Harvard to take the position it did. I think you wrote an open letter with Ryan Enos. Is that right?

I'm wondering what role, if any, you might have played in urging the administration of Harvard to take the position it did. I think you wrote an open letter with Ryan Enos. Is that right?

I'm wondering what role, if any, you might have played in urging the administration of Harvard to take the position it did. I think you wrote an open letter with Ryan Enos. Is that right?

You know, there was some reporting over the weekend, this is pretty wild, that suggested that the government's letter, which made these extensive demands of Harvard to eliminate DEI and change the balance of its faculty in terms of their ideological point of views, that that letter may have been sent by mistake. What do you make of this? I mean, the administration has not backed down.

You know, there was some reporting over the weekend, this is pretty wild, that suggested that the government's letter, which made these extensive demands of Harvard to eliminate DEI and change the balance of its faculty in terms of their ideological point of views, that that letter may have been sent by mistake. What do you make of this? I mean, the administration has not backed down.

You know, there was some reporting over the weekend, this is pretty wild, that suggested that the government's letter, which made these extensive demands of Harvard to eliminate DEI and change the balance of its faculty in terms of their ideological point of views, that that letter may have been sent by mistake. What do you make of this? I mean, the administration has not backed down.

It's not said that the letter is inoperable.

It's not said that the letter is inoperable.

It's not said that the letter is inoperable.

Stephen Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard and co-author with Luke and Wei of a new article in the journal Foreign Affairs titled The Path to American Authoritarianism.

Stephen Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard and co-author with Luke and Wei of a new article in the journal Foreign Affairs titled The Path to American Authoritarianism.

Stephen Levitsky is a professor of government at Harvard and co-author with Luke and Wei of a new article in the journal Foreign Affairs titled The Path to American Authoritarianism.

After we recorded our interview yesterday, news broke that Harvard had sued the Trump administration over its announced funding cuts, accusing the government of violating the First Amendment by seeking to control what Harvard teaches its students. We contacted Levitsky to get his reaction. He said, quote, I'm very pleased to see Harvard leading by example.

After we recorded our interview yesterday, news broke that Harvard had sued the Trump administration over its announced funding cuts, accusing the government of violating the First Amendment by seeking to control what Harvard teaches its students. We contacted Levitsky to get his reaction. He said, quote, I'm very pleased to see Harvard leading by example.

After we recorded our interview yesterday, news broke that Harvard had sued the Trump administration over its announced funding cuts, accusing the government of violating the First Amendment by seeking to control what Harvard teaches its students. We contacted Levitsky to get his reaction. He said, quote, I'm very pleased to see Harvard leading by example.

The most powerful among us must lead the way, unquote. A White House spokesman said in a statement that taxpayer funds are a privilege and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions to access that privilege. We'll hear more of our interview with Stephen Levitsky after this short break. I'm Dave Davies, and this is Fresh Air.

The most powerful among us must lead the way, unquote. A White House spokesman said in a statement that taxpayer funds are a privilege and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions to access that privilege. We'll hear more of our interview with Stephen Levitsky after this short break. I'm Dave Davies, and this is Fresh Air.