ABSTRACT
As economic inequality has exacerbated social stratification, a parallel dynamic has occurred with regard to knowledge. Aside from libel and hate speech Americans and Brits are able to say pretty much what they wish, but communication is not knowledge. In 1995 Philip Howard published The Death of Common Sense, a jeremiad against cumbersome, inefficient, and unresponsive bureaucracy, marking the beginning of his career as a public intellectual concerned about individual liberty and effective governance. Howard's rise within respectable conservativism, typical of the literary establishment's method of acquiring, producing, and distributing titles, applies to aspiring liberals as well. Overall, the college experience has been decidedly disappointing for students, at least, regarding learning. Because institutions of higher education are independent, these factors become mutually reinforcing resulting in the derogation of knowledge at non-elite institutions, those preparing the army of semi-professionals comprising the mediocracy.
