Becoming Right -- Another Load of Useless Academic Research

In this week's Pope Center Clarion Call, I review the recent book Becoming Right, which purports to reveal how college "shapes young conservatives." It's much ado about nothing, although the authors (who are clearly disdainful of right-of-center politics and people) occasionally stumble upon a revealing point, such as that students sometimes really do keep their thoughts hidden and write things they don't believe out of fear that their grades will suffer otherwise. There is precious little actual research in this book, but plenty of puffery and dark speculation.