Finishing our reading of Project 2025

How might a likely second Trump administration impact higher education? How can academics plan for and anticipate that major event, should it occur?

This week we conclude our reading of Project 2025, a key document in understanding the near- and medium-term future of American politics. This is an online, open, and distributed reading and anyone can participate. Here’s a post explaining how it works. You can find all of our Project 2025 posts here.

In today’s post I’ll summarize this week’s reading, which includes “Independent Regulatory Agencies” and a conclusion entitled “Onward!” All of this occurs on pages 825–887. I’ll draw out the bits which bear directly on higher education. Next I’ll add some reflections and then several discussion questions. At the end I’ll share some more resources. Please join in with comments below.

Summary overview

With this section the book continues addressing federal economic agencies and functions. The chapters are some of the briefest in the whole text.

To start, David R. Burton wants a new president to reform the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with one aim being to “reduce unnecessary regulatory impediments to capital formation.” (830) That seems to mean cutting back a lot of regulations. He would also end progressive…