New America, a Washington D.C. think tank, gathered 100 political scientists to sign this statement of concern: June 1, 2021 We, the undersigned, are scholars of democracy who have watched the recent deterioration of U.S. elections and liberal democracy with […]
democracy
William F. Buckley: “…I, for one, would not willingly die for ‘democracy'”
Historian Joshua Tait writes, “…the democracy-denying beliefs and actions of today’s conservative Republican party–rejecting the results of the 2020 presidential election and seeking to manipulate voting laws nationwide in a cynical assault on the democratic process–have plentiful precedent in conservative […]
“The humanities face continued marginalization despite increasing evidence of the broad civic and social harm that results from neglecting them.”
The quote in the title of this post comes from Grant Kaplan’s piece “The Crisis in Catholic Theology” published last week at America. Here is a taste: Today, although concern for the future of Catholic universities remains high, relatively little […]
Who will enhance humanities research at Christian colleges?
I am happy for my STEM colleagues at Christian colleges. Here is Inside Higher Ed: Nine Christian colleges will receive more than $1.5 million in total grant funding as part of a project to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics research at Council […]
Are we in the midst of a third American revolution?
CNN legal scholar Carrie Cordero and historian Ed Larson at USA Today: We are all familiar with the first American Revolution: an actual war, a rebellion for self-governance. But it was not long after that Thomas Jefferson called the election of 1800 […]
A Third Reconstruction?
Matt Ford gives us a lot to think about in this piece at The New Republic. titled “Our 250-Year Fight for Multiracial Democracy.” A taste: Some scholars and activists, by the same token, break down American history into presidencies or […]
Liz Cheney: “Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar”
Her party empowers liars and removes truth-tellers from leadership positions. Here is Liz Cheney’s parting shot: The sound you hear are progressives cheering for one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives:
The Author’s Corner with Elizabeth Kimball
Elizabeth Kimball is Assistant Professor of English at Drexel University. This interview is based on her new book, Translingual Inheritance: Language Diversity in Early National Philadelphia (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021). JF: What led you to write Translingual Inheritance? EK: […]
David Brooks: “The hyperpopulist wing of the G.O.P. seems to be crashing through the floor of philosophic liberalism into an abyss of authoritarian impulsiveness”
The New York Times columnist is worried about American democracy. Here is a taste of Brooks’s latest piece: Liberal democracy is based on a level of optimism, faith and a sense of security. It’s based on confidence in the humanistic […]
The New Republic continues to validate evangelical conspiracy theorist Eric Metaxas
Earlier this month, The New Republic published a “debate” between conservative writer Matt Labish and court evangelical Eric Metaxas. Here is what I wrote on April 5, 2021: …let’s remember that Eric Metaxas: Appears to be an anti-vaxxer. Believes the conspiracy […]
On Josh Hawley’s brazen and cynical CPAC speech
Sometime prior to November 8, 2020, four members of the Fea household voted in the presidential election. We joined millions of Pennsylvanians who voted by mail. We are the “people” of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Our voice was heard. Missouri […]
Did American exceptionalism survive Trump?
Bloomsburg writer Mihir Sharma says that Americans shouldn’t get so uptight about apparent threats to their democracy. Maybe sometimes we need an international voice to help us keep things in perspective. Here is a taste of Sharma’s piece, “World shouldn’t […]
The liberal arts teach the “pursuit of truth and the creation of virtuous citizens in the community.” We need both more than ever.
Future American historians will wonder why at precisely the time the country needed citizens who understood citizenship, the meaning of democracy, ethics, science, historical thinking, and how to build an argument based on truth, facts, and evidence, we decided to […]
Was there voter fraud? I can’t prove it. But I believe in American institutions.
Today a Twitter follower asked: Sorry “Long Distance Swimmer Cornett,” I can’t prove there wasn’t any voter fraud. But as a citizen I have a choice to make. I can either side with Trump and his team with their endless […]
Biden’s popular mandate
Not all the votes have been counted, but Joe Biden has already received more votes for president than any other candidate in American history. Here is Jeva Lange at Yahoo News: Former Vice President Joe Biden has now received more […]
What will happen to Trump rallies if he loses on Tuesday?
I fully expect them to continue. Between November 4 and January 20 he will use these rallies to complain about the election, probably telling his followers that the election was rigged. This could end up becoming one of the greatest […]
Mitt Romney searches for the center in American political life
I believe the center is there. It is a very large center, incorporating both Left and Right. It is a center where we have real debates informed by reason, facts, science, and truth. It is a center that celebrates nuance […]
Biden at Gettysburg
Joe Biden was in Gettysburg on Monday and he gave a pretty good speech. Watch: Let’s remember again that Lincoln’s call for unity and healing and the binding of wounds came after the Confederacy was all but defeated. Biden is […]
When the United States held an election during a civil war
Here is Jonathan White of Christopher Newport University: With President Trump’s illness disrupting his campaigning and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic afflicting Americans across the country, some commentators have wondered whether the 2020 election should be postponed. But the election of […]
What the election of 1800 can teach us about the peaceful transition of power in the United States
There are so many lessons we can learn from the presidential election of 1800. For example, when we claim that we are living through “the most divisive campaign” in history, 1800 offers perspective: The election of 1800 also figured prominently […]