NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Buckley Institute hosted a “firing line” debate on Tuesday afternoon on the role of “merit” in college admissions as well as hiring.
Devon Westhill, president and general counsel of the Center for Equal Protection, argued in favor of merit, while Yale Law School Professor Daniel Markovits took the more critical approach.
“Is merit a valid measure?” the debate asked, or has it outlived its usefulness.
Westhill (pictured, right) opened by emphasizing the importance of such debates in spaces like Yale, which he argued often lack intellectual diversity, functioning as echo chambers for progressive thought. Honest discussions on the value of merit, he said, benefit both the intellectual majority and minority.
Arguing in favor of meritocracy, Westhill said merit rewards individual achievements, incentivizes hard work, and cultivates excellence.
He said merit-based systems promote social mobility by providing opportunities to those who earn them, rather than those with …