• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Emerging Scholars Blog

InterVarsity's Emerging Scholars Network

DONATE
  • Home
  • About Us
    • About Our Bloggers
    • ESN Writing Inquiries
    • Commenting Policy
  • Reading Lists
  • Scholar’s Compass
    • Scholar’s Compass Discussion Guide
    • Scholar’s Compass Posts
    • Scholar’s Compass Booklet
  • Connect
    • Membership
    • Events
    • Donate
    • Contact Us
Home » Book Review: Degrees of Inequality

Book Review: Degrees of Inequality

September 2, 2014 by Bob Trube Leave a Comment

Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American  Dream By  Suzanne Mettler (Basic Books, 2014).
Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American  Dream
by  Suzanne Mettler (Basic Books, 2014).

Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American  Dream
By  Suzanne Mettler

My rating:  4 of 5 stars


The US at one time was distinguished for its commitment to universal primary and secondary education. And since World War 2, through the GI bill, the Pell Grant program, federally backed student loans, and government support of higher education, the opportunity for college education was put within reach for nearly all Americans, no matter what social class they came from.

Suzanne Mettler argues that during these years, this was accomplished by the creation of policies that formed a “policyscape” conducive to making this dream accessible to all. She contends that, just like the landscape around one’s home, the “policyscape” requires continued maintenance in order to accomplish its desired outcomes.

What this book does is chronicle how, beginning in the 1980s a series of broader changes combined with sporadic maintenance of the policyscape has created a growing divide between the elite who can afford higher education at prestigious or flagship universities, and the rest of American society. Even for those from these backgrounds who do enroll, the story is one of increasingly high student debt, falling graduation rates, and growing default rates on loans.

What has happened? Mettler chronicles several factors. One is the decline in state support of public institutions, made up for in rising tuition bills. A second factor is the rapid rise of the for-profit schools like the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University and others who propose flexible scheduling and appeal to many “non-traditional” students yet have dismal success rates measured by graduation and employment. Combine this with relaxed requirements by the Department of Education which has been heavily lobbied by the for-profits, you have a situation where 80 to 90 percent of the money going to these institutions comes in the form of federally subsidized grants or loans, and yet only 35 percent or less of the students are graduating. And, in recent years, we have had a contentious and polarized Congress that has turned any legislative reforms into a political football resulting in either lop-sided policies supported by one party, or no policy reform.

Mettler’s obvious prescription is for a return to rigorous, bi-partisan work addressing higher education funding policies at federal and state levels. She sees this as a vital national interest not only to serve all of our citizens but in fact the national interests and competitiveness of the country. And this seems good and right to me as far as it goes.

What I don’t see Mettler addressing is the contribution of universities and colleges themselves to the rising costs of education. What I do not see addressed is the issue of the growing higher ed bureaucracies at many universities and the expensive conferences and retreats attended by so many administrators that are paid for on the student’s and taxpayer’s dime. While Mettler asks critical questions about whether for-profits are delivering what students and taxpayers are paying for, I don’t see her asking these same questions of public and private non-profits. And while she alludes to admissions policies that give preference to the academically gifted who often come from affluent backgrounds, I think she could be far tougher on the question of how universities and colleges themselves are blind to their own elitism.

Mettler gives us an important critique of the failures of our public policy toward higher education and the game-changing impact of for-profit schools. However, she does this in a way that seems to absolve public and private non-profits from taking a hard look at their own contribution to the growing inequities in and lack of public support for higher ed. A public that witnesses lack of cost-controls, combined with revelations of sexual assaults on campuses and speech codes applied to commencement speakers may not readily be inclined to ante up for greater support to higher ed unless these institutions show that they have gotten their own houses in order.


Thank-you to Bob for sharing  Review: Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream  from his blog  Bob on Books  — a complex topic requiring more attention. Desiring to see/hear Suzanne Mettler articulate her perspective, I commend to you a presentation she gave on  Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Policy Sabotaged the American Dream.  ~ Thomas B. Grosh IV, Associate Director,  Emerging Scholars Network

Bob Trube
Bob Trube

Bob Trube is Associate Director of Faculty Ministry and Director of the Emerging Scholars Network. He blogs on books regularly at bobonbooks.com. He resides in Columbus, Ohio, with Marilyn and enjoys reading, gardening, choral singing, and plein air painting.

Share this:

  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • More
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Filed Under: Book Review/Discussion, Christ and the Academy Tagged With: Book Review, Degrees of Inequality, Degrees of Inequality: How the Politics of Higher Education Sabotaged the American Dream, educational inequality, for-profit universities, higher education, pell grants, student loans, Suzanne Mettler

Reader Interactions

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Become a Member

Membership is Free. Sign up and receive our monthly newsletter and access ESN member benefits.

Join ESN Today

Scholar’s Compass Booklet

Scholar's Compass Booklet

Click here to get your copy

Top Posts

  • The Message of Genesis 1
  • Faith and Reason, Part 2: Augustine
  • A Prayer for Those Finishing a Semester
  • Faith and Reason, Part 3: Aquinas
  • Christianity and Human Rights: Back to Basics

Facebook Posts

Facebook Posts

Footer

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Recent Posts

  • Sharing the Scholar’s Journey
  • Science Corner: “From a Certain Point of View”
  • Encouraging One Another

Article Categories

Footer Logo
© 2025 InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA®. All rights reserved.
InterVarsity, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, and the InterVarsity logo are trademarks of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and its affiliated companies.

Member of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact Us