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It is a rare day that I suggest we follow New Zealand’s example for anything, but this is one step Congress and the Trump Administration should strongly consider in their efforts to force universities to reform themselves (which they are not going to do without concentrated and sustained outside pressure):

From Science magazine:

Amid cuts to basic research, New Zealand scraps all support for social sciences

This week, in an announcement that stunned New Zealand’s research community, the country’s center-right coalition government said it would divert half of the NZ$75 million Marsden Fund, the nation’s sole funding source for fundamental science, to “research with economic benefits.” Moreover, the fund would no longer support any social sciences and humanities research, and the expert panels considering these proposals would be disbanded.

Universities New Zealand, which represents the nation’s eight universities, called the planned disinvestment in social science and humanities “astonishing.” It was among several academic groups and many scientists calling for the government to reverse the unexpected decision. . .

Heather Zwicker, a cultural studies researcher at the University of Queensland, says the blunt action also fails to recognize the importance of the humanities and social sciences to New Zealand’s economy and social cohesion.

Zwicker, from her own website.

First, I am sure that if the Trump Administration cuts off NSF and other federal funding for university social sciences and humanities, the campus whiners won’t call it “astonishing.” They’ll call it “genocide.”

Second, I got curious about Heather Zwicker talking about the importance of social sciences to New Zealand’s economy and “social cohesion.” Here’s what her (I assume a “her”) official bio says:

A cultural studies researcher, Professor Zwicker brings postcolonial and feminist theories to bear on problems such as stereotypes, universities, classrooms, and cities. Her research seeks to understand concepts that explain the world we inhabit. Key areas of exploration have included nation (especially Northern Ireland), stereotype (in particular, pre-9/11 stereotypes of Irish terrorists), the local (with an emphasis on Edmonton writing), public intellectualism (pursued through graduate seminars designed for non-academic tracks, and through writing for larger audiences), gender, and digital humanities. Professor Zwicker holds a PhD from Stanford University.