George Mason University

[[File:George Mason.jpg|thumb|right|165px|George Mason himself.]]
{{pseudoscience}}
'''George Mason University''' is a distinguished (and sometimes merely distinguishable) [[Irony meter|public university]] in [[Virginia]] known for its various public outreach and research programs. One of their most well-known programs is their Center for History and New Media,<ref>[http://chnm.gmu.edu/ Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media], George Mason University.</ref> which provides resources for [[history]] teachers. The university also once hosted the History News Network, a forum for commentary by historians from a number of universities on historical scholarship and current events. Some time around 2017, it was relocated to George Washington University,<ref>James Warren, [http://archive.today/IOLrA The Truth about Trump's Print Media Fixation]. ''Vanity Fair'', March 27, 2017</ref> though it still maintains the Columbian College for Arts and Sciences banner.<ref>[https://hnn.us/ History News Network], George Washington University</ref> 

Unfortunately, it's also a hotbed of [[crank]]ery and prime supplier of [[experts for hire]]. Most of its crank hires are employed in [[global warming denial]], [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] [[wingnut]]tery, and occasional [[creationism]].

==Global warming denial==
*[[Patrick Michaels]], "distinguished senior fellow in public policy," also bankrolled by the [[Cato Institute]].
*[[S. Fred Singer]], [[physicist]], left GMU in 2000. Another occasional Cato hack.
*Edward Wegman, [[statistics|statistician]] and author of the discredited and plagiarized [[Wegman Report]], cleared after a foot-dragging "investigation" by GMU that violated the university's own policies on timeliness of such inquiries.

==Intelligent design==
*Caroline Crocker, fired from GMU in 2005 for teaching [[intelligent design]] and featured in the film ''[[Expelled]]''.
*Sal Cordova, another IDiot. Holds the honor of being  Entry 81 on the [[Encyclopedia of American Loons]].<ref>[http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/10/81-salvador-sal-cordova.html Salvador “Sal” Cordova], Encyclopedia of American Loons, 10 October 2010.</ref>

==Liberal economics==
Their public policy and [[economics]] departments employ a number of professors well-known for libertarian-leaning views, spread across the spectrum of small-government philosophy, ranging from absolutely brilliant ([[Irony|despite general Austrian School leanings]]) all the way on down to full-on crazy (again, with some climate denial mixed in for good measure). They're all part of the Mercatus Center,<ref>[http://mercatus.org/ Mercatus Center], George Mason University.</ref> which is funded by [[Koch Industries]]. As sketchy as that may be, also eschewing that it has basically become the new de-facto [[Nerd|Fortress of Solitude]] for the [[Austrian School]] of Economics, GMU's business and economic departments are highly respected and held in exceptionally high regard. Lately, they seem to be embracing more and more aspects of [[Chicago School|neoclassical]] and behavioral economics, but analysing the market through a lens of [[Math|mathematical]] [[Logic|logic]] instead of ''pure'' methodology or hard science such as mathematical and statistical empiricism. This normative model has proven to be quite popular with economists worldwide, as well as the overall educational quality. Worldwide, the economics department at George Mason University is ranked among other prestigious universities.
   
Persons associated with GMU, past and present include:
*James M. Buchanan, [[Nobel]]-winning economist known for developing public choice theory. Also the guy who basically provided the Kochs with both ideological ammunition and grand strategy, according to historian  {{wpl|Nancy MacLean|Nancy MacLean’s}} 2017 book ''Democracy in Chains'' (which other historians have criticized for playing rather fast and loose with the facts)
*Vernon Smith, Nobel-winning economist and libertarian known for developing experimental economics. Also shagged up with the [[Cato Institute]].
*Wendy Gramm, chair of Mercatus, wife of former Senator [[Phil Gramm]]; known for her role in the [[Enron]] scandal.
*Peter Boettke, prominent [[Austrian school]] economist.
*Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, economists who run the "Marginal Revolution" blog.<ref>[http://marginalrevolution.com/ Marginal Revolution]. "Small steps towards a better world".</ref> By comparison, a [[moderate]] duo who try to eschew denialism and [[anti-science]] crankery but still condemn """[[woke|wokeism]]""".<ref>https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2022/02/wokeism-has-peaked.html</ref>
*Arnold Kling and Bryan "[[Keynes]] = militant unions" Caplan, the proprietors of the blog EconLog<ref>[http://econlog.econlib.org/ EconLog]. econlib.org.</ref> along with David Henderson (a notable climate denier, though not employed by GMU).
*Walter E. Williams, [[African American|African-American]] economist infamously known for filling in for [[Rush Limbaugh|the scat-muncher]] on his radio show and [[Uncle Tom|promoting]] the [[Lost Cause of the South|Southern Lost Cause]].<ref>Thomas DiLorenzo, ''The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War''. Three Rivers Press, New York, 2003. {{isbn|0761526463}}</ref><ref>Walter Williams, [http://archive.lewrockwell.com/orig2/w-williams1.html DiLorenzo Is Right About Lincoln]. lewrockwell.com, 22 March 2005.</ref>
*[[Nathan Larson]], [[white supremacist]] [[perennial candidate]] and [[pedophile]].

==Funding==
Why so many hacks and quacks? GMU gets boatloads of funding from ultra-rich libertarian and [[conservative]] donors, including the [[Koch Industries|Koch brothers]], [[Richard Mellon Scaife]], and [[Oil|ExxonMobil]]. Charles Koch is listed as an emeritus Board member.<ref>[https://www.mercatus.org/leadership Leadership], Mercatus Center, George Mason University.</ref> This is from a campus that is also desperately trying (like almost every single university in the country) to increase its [[tax]]payer-funded endowment.<ref>Nick Anderson, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/george-mason-president-delivers-new-vision/2013/04/26/66d48f50-ae5c-11e2-8bf6-e70cb6ae066e_story.html George Mason president delivers new vision]. ''The Washington Post'', 26 April 2013.</ref>

==External links==
*[http://www.gmu.edu/ GMU homepage]
*[http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=George_Mason_University Sourcewatch entry]
*[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/04/16/858016/-George-Mason:-Climate-Denial-U George Mason: Climate Denial U?], [[Daily Kos]]
*[http://deepclimate.org/2010/12/23/george-mason-universitys-endless-inquiry/ George Mason University's Endless Inquiry], Deep Climate
*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason_University%27s_historical_hoaxes George Mason University's historical hoaxes]

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Crank schools]]
[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:Denialist organizations]]
[[Category:Economics]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
[[Category:Kochsphere]]
[[Category:Libertarianism]]
[[Category:Austrian school]]

Categories: Crank schools, Creationism, Denialist organizations, Economics, Global warming denialists, Kochsphere, Libertarianism, Austrian school