--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think the universities have co-opted…" description: "\"I think the universities have co-opted the intellectual, by and large. But there is an emerging intellectual set coming out of Washington think tanks n..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/richard-rodriguez-6515_coming-out_i-think-the-universities-have-co-opted-t_174947.png" --- # I think the universities have co-opted the intellectual… ![“I think the universities have co-opted the intellectual, by and large. But there is an emerging intellectual set coming out of Washington think tanks now. There are people who are leaving the universities and working for the government or in think tanks, simply looking for freedom.” quote by Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/richard-rodriguez-6515_coming-out_i-think-the-universities-have-co-opted-t_174947.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/richard-rodriguez-6515_coming-out_i-think-the-universities-have-co-opted-t_174947.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/richard-rodriguez-6515_coming-out_i-think-the-universities-have-co-opted-t_174947.png) > “I think the universities have co-opted the intellectual, by and large. But there is an emerging intellectual set coming out of Washington think tanks now. There are people who are leaving the universities and working for the government or in think tanks, simply looking for freedom.” [Richard Rodriguez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rodriguez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Universities have become overly controlled, prompting scholars to leave for think tanks seeking autonomy and influence. **In simple terms:** Scholars leave academia for think tanks to gain freedom. Key Takeaway Support independent academic voices to retain talent. Themes education intellectual freedom institutional autonomy career mobility Mood reflective concerned Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - higher education - government research - public policy development - career transitions Key Concepts co-optation brain drain policy influence Questions to Reflect On - How can universities foster genuine intellectual independence? - What incentives keep scholars in academia? A Different Perspective Think tanks may still face political pressures limiting true freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Coming out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coming-out/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Emerging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emerging/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Opted Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opted-intellectual-1885672/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Who Are Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-who-are-leaving-221558/) [Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tanks/) [Think Tanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-tanks-258466/) [Think Universities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-universities-1512519/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Universities Working](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universities-working-1885673/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) ## Related quotes > [Succinct, thorough, and masterfully researched-Thomas Medvetz has written a subtle and timely history of these fixtures of public debate in the United States. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lemert/succinct-thorough-and-masterfully-researched-thomas-medvetz-has/) [Charles Lemert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lemert/) > [My understanding is that Exxon, in particular, did fund a variety of small think tanks to generate what amounts to propaganda against understanding of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-holdren/my-understanding-is-that-exxon-in-particular-did-fund-a-variety-of/) [John Holdren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-holdren/) > [There's been a 40-year effort on the far right to build up think tanks, academic programs, advocacy groups, to push a particular ideology. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mayer/there-s-been-a-40-year-effort-on-the-far-right-to-build-up-think/) [Jane Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mayer/) > [Scratch the surface at conservative think tanks and universities that house free-market economists, and it's not hard to find proponents of a carbon tax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-easton/scratch-the-surface-at-conservative-think-tanks-and-universities-that/) [Nina Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-easton/) > [Think tanks are chiefly supposed to provide independent expertise to policymakers. But they also seek to be politically relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bari-weiss/think-tanks-are-chiefly-supposed-to-provide-independent-expertise-to/) [Bari Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bari-weiss/) > [Think tanks do have points of view, and they are absolutely entitled to defend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-frum/think-tanks-do-have-points-of-view-and-they-are-absolutely-entitled/) [David Frum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-frum/) > [Washington, D.C. is full of think tanks, theoreticians and advocacy groups. 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