Posts

Student revolt and the Curtailing of Critical Speech

The violent crackdown on campus protests reveals an alliance between the Right and mainstream elites who are driven by reactionary impulses and status anxieties The violent crackdown on campus protests reveals an alliance between the Right and mainstream elites who are driven by reactionary impulses and status anxieties

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Anti-Anti-Trump Conservatives Are Paving the Way for Authoritanism

Highbrow conservative commentators are giving themselves permission to support Trump by portraying “liberal hysteria” as the real threat: A case study of National Review Highbrow conservative commentators are giving themselves permission to support Trump by portraying “liberal hysteria” as the real threat: A case study of National Review

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

What Makes “Project 2025” So Dangerous

Will the Right be able to implement its plans? Is Trump on board? What happened to traditional conservatism? Let’s tackle the key questions surrounding "Project 2025" Will the Right be able to implement its plans? Is Trump on board? What happened to traditional conservatism? Let’s tackle the key questions surrounding "Project 2025"

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

What Does “Defend Democracy” Actually Mean?

Biden’s State of the Union hinted at a key shift in the liberal imagination: From a merely restorative to a potentially more transformative vision for America Biden’s State of the Union hinted at a key shift in the liberal imagination: From a merely restorative to a potentially more transformative vision for America

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

The Much Vaunted Guardrails Are Failing

Unless America’s leading institutions start acting accordingly, how can we expect enough people to believe the danger to democracy is really all that severe? Unless America’s leading institutions start acting accordingly, how can we expect enough people to believe the danger to democracy is really all that severe?

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

What “Project 2025” Would Do to America

The Right has developed concrete plans to make America into a much nastier place for anyone who dares to deviate from the white Christian patriarchal order The Right has developed concrete plans to make America into a much nastier place for anyone who dares to deviate from the white Christian patriarchal order

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

“Project 2025” Promises Revenge, Oppression, and Autocratic Rule

The Right’s plans for a return to power are driven by a radicalizing siege mentality and a desperate desire to restore dominance The Right’s plans for a return to power are driven by a radicalizing siege mentality and a desperate desire to restore dominance

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

What the “Biden Too Old” Discourse Is Really About

Let’s evaluate the arguments of those who describe Biden as manifestly unfit Let’s evaluate the arguments of those who describe Biden as manifestly unfit

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Domination or Dissolution, Rule or Ruin

The Right is fantasizing about secession, “national divorce,” and civil war – because they will not, under any circumstance, accept pluralism The Right is fantasizing about secession, “national divorce,” and civil war – because they will not, under any circumstance, accept pluralism

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

The Texas Border Standoff Is an Acute Crisis with Terrifying…

Is this how America ends? Echoes of nullification crises and Civil War, and the dissolution of the Union Is this how America ends? Echoes of nullification crises and Civil War, and the dissolution of the Union

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

MLK’s Legacy and the Quest for a Racial Reckoning

A reflection on our distorted, sanitized version of the civil rights struggle, reactionary “backlash,” and the eternal objection of the white moderate A reflection on our distorted, sanitized version of the civil rights struggle, reactionary “backlash,” and the eternal objection of the white moderate

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

January 6 in History

Was it a key moment in the republic’s eventual demise or a milestone on the road to democracy’s ultimate triumph? The meaning of January 6 is yet to be determined Was it a key moment in the republic’s eventual demise or a milestone on the road to democracy’s ultimate triumph? The meaning of January 6 is yet to be determined

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

On Substack’s Nazi Problem, and Ours

The year is off to a depressing start with a reflection on how to navigate the moral quandaries of social media extremism – and a plea to my readers to stick with me The year is off to a depressing start with a reflection on how to navigate the moral quandaries of social media extremism – and a plea to my readers to stick with me

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Things Seem Really Bad Right Now. But Let’s Put 2023 Into Perspective

It feels like an eternity since the year started with a palpable sense of optimism… A reflection on where democracy stands at the end of 2023 – and what lies ahead It feels like an eternity since the year started with a palpable sense of optimism… A reflection on where democracy stands at the end of 2023 – and what lies ahead

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Militant Democracy vs Donald Trump

Democracy is fated to fight those who assault it with one hand tied behind its back, lest it become that which it seeks to defeat. But fight it must – or it will perish Democracy is fated to fight those who assault it with one hand tied behind its back, lest it become that which it seeks to defeat. But fight it must – or it will perish

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

We Are Falling Apart

The Right is exploiting fears over rising antisemitism for its reactionary crusade while the Israel-Hamas war is tearing the democratic popular front to pieces The Right is exploiting fears over rising antisemitism for its reactionary crusade while the Israel-Hamas war is tearing the democratic popular front to pieces

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Donald Trump, American Dictator

Every political analysis needs to start from the recognition that there is an eminently plausible - and fairly straightforward - path from here to autocratic rule Every political analysis needs to start from the recognition that there is an eminently plausible - and fairly straightforward - path from here to autocratic rule

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

How Can Democracy Possibly Work Under Such Conditions?

Pervasive pessimism and nostalgia, waning support for a racial reckoning, anti-feminist retrenchment, and so many conspiracies… Pervasive pessimism and nostalgia, waning support for a racial reckoning, anti-feminist retrenchment, and so many conspiracies…

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

One Year of Democracy Americana

A personal reflection on the chances and pitfalls of publicly engaging with the political conflict from a precarious academic position – and what the future might bring A personal reflection on the chances and pitfalls of publicly engaging with the political conflict from a precarious academic position – and what the future might bring

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Do Americans Value Democracy?

Brace yourselves: A deep dive into the best survey data we have on the ideas and attitudes that shape the political conflict in the United States - Part I Brace yourselves: A deep dive into the best survey data we have on the ideas and attitudes that shape the political conflict in the United States - Part I

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

In Defense of My Students

The idea of the campus as a stronghold of leftwing extremism and authoritarian censoriousness stands in stark contrast to what’s happening inside the classroom The idea of the campus as a stronghold of leftwing extremism and authoritarian censoriousness stands in stark contrast to what’s happening inside the classroom

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

“Faith and Family” vs Democracy

On the normalization of Mike Johnson, the media’s inclination to accommodate power, and the perpetuation of “real American” extremism On the normalization of Mike Johnson, the media’s inclination to accommodate power, and the perpetuation of “real American” extremism

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Is This Democracy

An ongoing conversation with Lily Mason on the struggle over democracy in American politics and history An ongoing conversation with Lily Mason on the struggle over democracy in American politics and history

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Why America’s Elites Love to Decry “Polarization”

The fact that it obscures the actual political conflict is the feature, not the bug of the “polarization” narrative – A Manifesto, Part II The fact that it obscures the actual political conflict is the feature, not the bug of the “polarization” narrative – A Manifesto, Part II

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

The Treacherous Allure of the “Polarization” Dogma

On the limits and pitfalls of a narrative that obscures more than it illuminates – A Manifesto, Part I On the limits and pitfalls of a narrative that obscures more than it illuminates – A Manifesto, Part I

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

The Triumph of Weaponized Nostalgia

Past eras of stable white Christian patriarchal dominance are widely sanitized and mythologized in our political discourse Past eras of stable white Christian patriarchal dominance are widely sanitized and mythologized in our political discourse

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Moralizing Nostalgia Leads to Bad History - and Helps the…

David Brooks’ “How America Got Mean” offers an ahistorical tale that obscures rather than illuminates – and provides fertile ground for a politics of reaction David Brooks’ “How America Got Mean” offers an ahistorical tale that obscures rather than illuminates – and provides fertile ground for a politics of reaction

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Rightwing Dreams of American Reconquista

A counter-revolutionary zeal and desire for vengeance is what unites Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Christopher Rufo, Nate Hochman, and the rest of today’s Right A counter-revolutionary zeal and desire for vengeance is what unites Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Christopher Rufo, Nate Hochman, and the rest of today’s Right

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Ron DeSantis Dreams About America’s Founding - And How to Destroy His…

DeSantis’ forgotten 2011 book Dreams From Our Founding Fathers helps us trace the Right’s recent intellectual and political trajectory of radicalization DeSantis’ forgotten 2011 book Dreams From Our Founding Fathers helps us trace the Right’s recent intellectual and political trajectory of radicalization

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025

Teasing DeSantis - and a Call for Questions

An upcoming exploration of the American Founding according to Ron DeSantis, a massive thank you, and a summer mailbag An upcoming exploration of the American Founding according to Ron DeSantis, a massive thank you, and a summer mailbag

September 14, 2025 September 14, 2025