Recently Published

Worst Pardon Ever? You'll Be Surprised

by Michael Genovese

The prospect of Trump issuing pardons to his family (and even trying to pardon himself) and the contentious history of pardons should be cause to limit the pardon power by providing for Congressional oversight. 

Actually, It's Doctor....

by Suzanne Chod

A recent editorial asking Dr. Jill Biden to stop using the honorific is steeped in sexism and nostalgia for the unchallenged authority of white men. Ironically, her upcoming public role may help to further break down such hierarchies.

Defending the 1619 Project in the Context of History Education Today

by Alan J. Singer

Critics of the 1619 project may dispute particular claims or interpretations, but an understanding of the minimal attention devoted to slavery and its legacies in secondary school curricula shows that the project is badly needed. 

Trump's Troop Withdrawal in Afghanistan: Part 2 – Is There Even a "Trump Doctrine"?

by Brian Glyn Williams

Many Americans have bought Donald Trump's claim that he seeks to extricate the U.S. from "endless wars," including in Afghanistan. Viewed in the context of his other foreign policy actions, this claim is nonsensical, and undermines the work being done in support of global democracy and American interests.

Create Collaborative Videos to Build Historical Engagement

by Andrew Joseph Pegoda

A history professor advocates collaborative, creative performance as a way to encourage students to engage with primary sources and build empathy for the historical other. 

Can Biden Broaden Our American Dream?

by Walter G. Moss

Can a program of national service create pathways to individual opportunity while also building the social cohesion America needs to recover? 

"A Christmas Carol" Makes the Same Demand Today: Feed the Hungry

by William Lambers

Three ghosts visiting Americans this holiday might show the lifesaving benefits of food aid in the past, the scope of food insecurity today, and the prospects of hunger worsening in the future. 

The Psychology of Election Denial

by Robert Brent Toplin

The Republican response to the election results is a lesson in the mental mechanics of cognitive dissonance. 

The Plague in Ancient Athens: A Cautionary Tale for America

by Fred Zilian

The United States in some respects has fared better under COVID than Athens did during the plague that accompanied the Peloponnesian War: a vaccine is in sight, and our head of state survived the day's most feared disease. But in both cases, disease showed the strains and cracks of a society and political system that will be difficult to repair.

Peace is Good. But are More Peace Deals Necessarily Better?

by Catherine Baylin Duryea

The recent normalization of relations between Israel and Morocco extends longstanding covert cooperation between the two nations, but troublingly reflects Mideast politics that are increasingly aimed at isolating Iran. It also includes concessions that  contribute to the marginalization of the people of Western Sahara.

To Be Or Not to Be... a Republican

by James D. Zirin

Donald Trump doesn't expect to prevail in the 2020 election, but may succeed in keeping hold of the Republican Party for years to come; his insistent claims of fraud are a test of loyalty. 

Georgia Election Official Joins Long Line of Voices to Call for ‘Living in Truth'

by Jeffrey H. Jackson

"History shows us that people -- sometimes one at a time -- can defend the truth by pointing out what everyone knows but which the powerful sometimes refuse to believe."

Trump's Troop Withdrawal in Afghanistan: Part 1 – Abandoning a Vulnerable Ally in the War on Terror

by Brian Glyn Williams

Donald Trump's plan to withdraw troops from Afghanistan misrepresents the scope and costs of the American mission and ignores the high stakes of failure for both Afghans and American security, according to a scholar of the War on Terror. 

Will Biden Shake Up a Century of US-Ireland Relations?

by Mark Holan

As the second Irish-American Catholic president, Joe Biden may be expected to sprinkle his speeches with lines from Seamus Heaney, but he's likely to tread a moderate path as issues like Brexit test the Irish-American relationship. 

Anarchism and the Avant-Garde: Félix Fénéon at the Museum of Modern Art

by Sam Ben-Meir

A new MOMA exhibition centers not on artists, but on the avant-garde critic and editor Félix Fénéon, whose championing of innovative artists meshed with his radical politics as a critique of the injustices of modern society.

A Lesson from "The Crown" for American Elections? Embrace Dignity, Demand Efficiency

by Lolita Buckner-Inniss

A fictionalized scene from the series "The Crown" illustrates the way that norms and good faith can overcome gaps in the letter of the law of government. The 2020 election shows that when norms and good faith approach failure, it's time to fill in those gaps.

Senator Mike Lee Disregards History While Claiming to Support American Unity

by Matt Chumchal

Senator Mike Lee this week claimed proposed museums dedicated to the history of women and Latino/as in America would foster division by ethnicity and sex. A biology professor shares an experience with the new National Museum of African American History and Culture and argues that the proposed museums are in fact needed to create the understanding needed to forge unity.

A Narrow Definition of "Winner" Shouldn't Hide McGovern's Moral Clarity

by Mike McQuillan

A former senate aide and campaign volunteer saw George McGovern's moral clarity and decency up close, and says the nation is worse off for branding him a loser after the 1972 election. 

Seven Years from the "Day of Infamy" to "Human Rights Day"

by Rick Halperin

"As 2020 comes to a close, even in the midst of a terrible pandemic which may claim 300,000 U.S. deaths by year’s end,  we would do well to pause and reflect upon how much progress has been made, and still needs to be made, in the struggle for human rights."

Character was Trump's Achilles Heel

by John C. Waugh

Explaining Donald Trump's reversal of fortune between 2016 and November 3 could be as simple as recognizing that the presidency gave his character no place to hide.