View from K Street: Loyalty oaths planned for civil service

Among the more despised (and despicable) recent practices imposed by universities in the guise of supporting inclusion has been a “diversity statement” required of all applicants. The statements usually ask applicants to outline their past contributions and future plans to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within an  academic institution. They were little more than ideological loyalty oaths. A common result was a narrowing of ideological diversity among faculties. More troubling was the grotesque, self-inflicted perversion of academic freedom and the weakening of universities’ ability to mount a defense based on a principal value they had so thoroughly undermined themselves.

The criticism of the diversity statements was strongest from the conservative movement, who seemed more concerned with the outcome than with the process. Indeed, there appears to be something in the process that they liked so much they are emulating it.

Trump insists on “patriotic” hiring. President Trump recently announced plans to ask federal job applicants to describe their allegiance to administration policy in an essay. The administration seeks “patriotic Americans” to “faithfully serve the executive branch” and support the democratic process. Notably, the guidance defined undermining the democratic process as  “intentionally subverting presidential directives.”