Bureaucratic Displacement in College Institutions

American Thinker ^ | 18 Apr, 2025 | Matthew Williams

[MtnClimber]

The Trump administration has begun pressuring colleges by withholding federal funds, looking to revoke their tax-exempt status, and demanding greater accountability from private universities. Citing the rise of anti‑Semitic protests, incidents, and violence toward Jewish students since October 7th, the explosive expansion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and the use of racist affirmative action programs in admissions.

Universities and much of the media immediately denounced what they call an unwarranted crackdown on private institutions— (where was the outcry when the Biden Administration targeted Christian colleges?). This defensive posture conveniently ignores how many elite private universities have, for years, operated like self‑perpetuating bureaucracies and advanced a host of left‑wing priorities—only to hide behind "private" status when challenged.

Today's colleges display a glaring double standard and every red flag of a bloated government agency. Many colleges perfectly illustrate Milton Friedman's concept of bureaucratic displacement: when an organization loses sight of its founding mission and devotes itself to maintaining and expanding its power.

There are three apparent symptoms of bureaucratic displacement worth exploring as they play out in higher education:

1. Administrative Bloat

2. Mission Drift

3. Process Over Outcomes & Increased Costs Without Increased Value

Administrative Bloat

Administrative bloat occurs when non‑essential staff — coordinators, specialists, vice presidents, and extracurricular departments — expand beyond an institution's core mission, inflating costs without improving the student's academic or educational experience. Colleges often channel resources into agendas like DEI initiatives and political programming rather than instruction.

[MtnClimber]

I think this also applies to the public education system, government of all types (city, state, federal) and many corporations.

[Albion Wilde]

[MtnClimber]

Thanks for posting. That is a great chart!