Tenure is wasted on professors who don't speak their minds.
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I think that's incorrect. Tenure also *theoretically* allows profs to take more long-term risks with their research. It's theoretically worth it to have some profs who never succeed at anything, and yet get rewarded. Not sure if that's how it works in practice...
Another useful function of tenure, true. But not the original rationale, and not the current function that's most under threat. I'll try to write something soon about the functions of 21st century tenure.
