The University as Public Good Provider: What political science can learn from other disciplines (RIPIL Working Paper 01)

<p dir="ltr">Universities are facing increasing pressure to demonstrate their added value to society. While the teaching missions of universities may seem easier to justify because of its direct effects on students and their careers, the billions of dollars that fund basic research, with uncertain broader impacts, are facing greater scrutiny. Universities have responded by asking their communications offices to more clearly articulate the impact of university research, but this assumes that a better explanation is all that is needed. We argue that universities should also meet this moment by understanding and supporting how researchers facilitate substantial social and economic impacts. While political scientists have made important inroads in supporting the broader dissemination of their research, they have not generally examined how universities contribute to society or explored the methods required to facilitate the impact of research. To understand the public goods that universities contribute to society and how researchers can facilitate the impact of their research, we need to turn to other disciplines. We review scholarship from other disciplines—including public health, education policy, business, and economics—and discuss how universities can contribute public goods and how to facilitate these contributions. We close by outlining a new research agenda for political science that explores the mechanisms and politics of research impact, with the overall goal of helping universities to better understand how they serve the broader public good in a time of political instability.</p>