ABSTRACT
The highest academic rewards are earned for scholarly research that is judged to help advance knowledge. The academic standing of institutions of higher education as well as that of individual faculty members depends on their contributions to specialized research and scholarship. Some characteristics of universities are surrounded by myths that remain alive in the face of contrary evidence. Ben-David attributes scientific progress in a country to a decentralized system of universities and the consequent competition among independent academic institutions. The growth of science in the United States during the last century, which has made it the leading nation in science, provides another illustration of Ben-David’s thesis that scientific progress depends on the constraints to institutionalize new specialties experienced by independent universities in a decentralized system that strengthens the bargaining power of faculty members.
