Does the obligation to produce research enhance good teaching, or just get in the way and drive up the cost of college? The Pope Center has just published an exchange among four economists on that question. You can read it here.

In my view, for every published book or article that really makes a worthwhile contribution to knowledge in a field, there are dozens that make no contribution and wouldn’t be written if it weren’t for the obligation to get things in print. In a more sensible world, professors would be paid to teach and research work would mainly be done on a contract basis with those who want to fund it.