<p>when I think almost every country around the world has one? </p>
<p>I was just wondering why a very rich and powerful country cannot establish a university that can be said to be its foremost university housing nothing but only the very, very best students and faculty in the land…</p>
<p>The country is too big, regional and decentralized. We don’t have a Paris or a London serving as a cultural and political capital. We almost did; NY was the capital for a few years there at the beginning of the nineteenth century, but it didn’t work out that way.</p>
<p>If it had, maybe we would have our national cultural and intellectual life more centralized. I’m glad we don’t. “Official” things have a tendency to ossify.</p>
<p>Because we already have so many very fine universities. </p>
<p>Because education is a state, not a national, function.</p>
<p>Knowing how government works it would probably have more departments and administrators than students.</p>
<p>RML, what country are you from?</p>
<p>" Because education is a state, not a national, function. "</p>
<p>This is what I was actually asking about? Why can’t it be not a national function? </p>
<p>Would it not be a good idea if America has a foremost university?</p>
<p>“RML, what country are you from?”</p>
<p>I’m actually Italian, but studied in Singapore, the Philippines, England (undergrad) and America. Of these countries, it’s only America that has none national university.</p>
<p>RML, our Constitution grants STATES the function of educating people; that’s not a function of the Federal government. Outside of the service academies and a few other specialized schools (which serve the military), the Federal government doesn’t run schools in the US.</p>
<p>^ I already know that, owlice. What I was asking is why won’t America make one? Would it jeopardize the higher education system of America if it would decide to create one now or in the future? </p>
<p>If American would create one, would it benefit the nation?</p>
<p>I know America is quite a large country and the American government is quite rich and powerful… don’t you think it is of America’s best interest when its government is the one educating its brightest students? That is a hypothetical question.</p>
<p>mythmom,</p>
<p>Thank you for your answer, but a national university doesn’t have to be closely associated with national cultural or political aspirations. For example the Australian National University was just created only about an era ago with no cultural or political aspirations. </p>
<p>My personal understanding about this thing tells me that the national university is created to train students to become leaders someday with a mission and vision that is aligned with the national objective and program of the government. National universities attract the very, very best students and are taught by the best faculty. Its location doesn’t have to be in the capital city.</p>
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</p>
<p>Because education is NOT A NATIONAL FUNCTION; it is a STATE function. If you know that, why do you keep asking the question?</p>
<p>Aside from that, the government IS educating some of the US’s brightest students: in service academies.</p>
<p>^ If America would have one, would it be a good idea?</p>
<p>
If it has only one it would soon reach the caliber of HYP–in selectivity. They would have among the best funding, best professors, best students, and a high demand because of the cheap price. However, it would not be a good idea in that one national academy would serve no purpose, it would just educate some insignificant percent of the population. </p>
<p>Beyond that look at schools such as West Point or Annapolis.</p>
<p>Frankly RML I see no point of having one in the US and I don’t think it is a good idea other than the academies which are great universities.</p>
<p>This country is just to big and too diverse to say one university can represent the country or is “the” place to be.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This does not explain well why the federal government mandates NCLB, president Obama addresses young students, the federal government provides finanicial aid, the federal government gives research grants,…</p>
<p>I can just see it… out National University dedicated to educating the best and the brightest duking it out with HYPS to place #1 on the USNWR list. That would be a sorry spectacle.</p>
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</p>
<p>We do, and they are “free”. There is just one caveat - you must agree to serve for 5 years in the US Military for the privilege of attending.
The United States Military Academy at West Point
The United States Naval Academy
The United States Air Force Academy
The United States Coast Guard Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy - while not “free”, one does have an obligation to either serve in the domestic shipping industry or military.</p>
<p>These are all very selective and top academic institutions. The educate the best and the brightest and duke it out with top schools on the USNWR listings.</p>
<p>USMA and USNA are the top public liberal arts colleges. They rank #14 and #19 respectively.
USAFA is ranked #1 for Western Bacc colleges
USCGA is ranked #1 for North Bacc colleges
USMMA is ranked #2 for North Bacc colleges.</p>
<p>For Engineering colleges that only offer a bacc degree:
USMA, USNA and USAFA rank # 4, 5, 6 respectively just under Harvey Mudd, Rose-Hulman and Cooper Union and right with Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo</p>
<p>Your tax dollars are being put to good use.</p>
<p>RML,
There is a long history among Americans not trusting their government (or any kind of central controlling power). That thinking is a little out of vogue currently with the Obamanistas running things, but the people of the USA have not changed in the last year nearly as much as the government has. </p>
<p>Yes, government can and should set up some guidelines to regulate various things, including education (although as several has stated, this control rightly belongs at the local and state levels), but most Americans see government as the least efficient and least intelligent provider. Turning more power and control over to the government will only further politicize things and diminish the freedom of individuals.</p>
<p>In a more practical answer as to why we don’t need a central governement school, let me give you 40 good reasons (and there are plenty more, but this is a start):</p>
<p>Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Caltech
MIT
Stanford
U Penn
Columbia
U Chicago
Duke
Dartmouth
Northwestern
Wash U
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
Brown
Emory
Rice
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame</p>
<p>Williams
Amherst
Swarthmore
Middlebury
Wellesley
Bowdoin
Pomona
Carleton
Davidson
Haverford
Claremont McK
Vassar
Wesleyan
Grinnell
Harvey Mudd
W&L
Smith
Colgate
Hamilton
Colby</p>
<p>Welcome to America …home of the free.</p>
<p>We are a nation of choices because our nation developed on these principles.
Our young children can be home schooled, go to a religious affiliated school, a science school, a montessori school, a military school etc. When they go to university they expect the same choices. Religious, political slant, teaching styles, learning styles. The list goes on forever.</p>
<p>A National University would be an endorsement of one way is the best way. People would worry about what is being taught and how a gov’t might interfere with what is being taught and by whom.</p>
<p>Just a rough sketch of an early morning pre coffee american mind exploring your question…because I am free to do and say what I want.</p>
<p>We already have more than enough fine universities. There’s simply no need. What does it matter? The system ain’t broke. And, frankly, we do have the service academies, that are extremely elite and do indeed serve the “best of the best.”</p>