Student-nominated professor presents Last Lecture
As much as people like to do good, some of them don’t realize the harm they are causing.
That was the point of a lecture given Thursday by Randy Simmons, head of the political science department.
“The Tyranny of Good Intentions” was the 28th annual Last Lecture and was sponsored by the Honors Program.
“People are too damn good,” Simmons said. “They are not content to do good in just their own lives. They want to bring their good intentions to my house and yours.
“I am afraid they try to do too damn much good, without thinking through the consequences,” he said.
Simmons explained that people who do not even know him want to tax him if he wants to smoke a cigarette in his back yard. They want to protect him from himself by forcing him to wear a seatbelt and buy a car with air bags, he said.
“We are no longer a country based on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We are becoming Canadians. Our new motto might as well be, ‘Safety first, liberty last,'” Simmons said.
It’s difficult to get rid of policies made from good intentions, he said.
“First, good intentions don’t necessarily lead to good outcomes. Second, good intentions will always produce unintended consequences,” Simmons said.
He gave the example of Title IX, the rule that requires equal opportunity for both sexes in education programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. The law opened doors for women in athletics, but at the same time, it cut programs for male athletes. Also, the respect that comes for excelling in sports wasn’t granted as readily to Title IX women, who are seen as welfare athletes, he said.
Another example: “the most recent flap on our campus about posting teaching evaluations on the World Wide Web.”
Once students are admitted to Utah State University, they must deal with monopolist professors whose salaries do not depend on how well their students learn, Simmons said. He acknowledged that educators are likely dedicated and student-oriented, but they have “little incentive to innovate or respond to market-like pressures,” he said.
In markets, prices convey the value of a product. Consumers who want more information look to reviews and product comparisons.
But where should students look to gain information about their teachers?
“Students pay the same tuition for a good teacher or a bad one, so price provides no information,” Simmons said.
Yet most professors object to having their evaluations posted online. Simmons agreed the evaluations are flawed.
“But would these same professors make the same arguments if they had to advertise to get students into their classes – if their salaries depended on attracting and satisfying students?” he said.
Taking incomplete information off the Web may be a well-intentioned move, but it is not without its consequences. It sends a message to students, Simmons said.
“We are saying that [professors] know best, so sit back and accept our monopoly-driven answers to your questions, and please do not ask to see our course evaluations,” he said. “We are not rewarding your range of choices or increasing your control over your destiny.”
Simmons cited the drug war and Utah mass transit as other tyrannical good intentions.
The federal and state governments have spent $12 billion so far this year to fight against the use of drugs. But the number of offenses has increased, he said.
TRAX was made to reduce pollution and traffic. But, he said, most people think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if people used TRAX and the bus so I wouldn’t have to fight traffic?”
People must not sacrifice their freedom to good intentions, Simmons said.
“If you are doing something because you believe it will be good for someone else, cut it out,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
-jannahz2002@yahoo.com