Monthly Archives: February 2025

Lawsuit Defends Medical Research

Posted on February 15, 2025 by briansandberg

The American Council on Education (ACE), Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), and other associations have filed a lawsuit to defend medical research in the United States. Here is the joint statement from … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Current Research, Higher Education, Legal history, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political History of the United States, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

Documenting a Purge

Posted on February 15, 2025 by briansandberg

Historians utilize documents to analyze historical events, developments, and patterns. Journalists also rely heavily on documents in their reporting on contemporary events, leading some news organizations to claim that journalism is the “first draft of history.” While this claim may … Continue reading →

Posted in History in the Media, History of News, Information Management, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Public History, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

The Great War and Modern Memory at 50

Posted on February 15, 2025 by briansandberg

Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory, a classic study of British soldiers’ writings about trench warfare on the Western Front during the First World War, is now 50 years old. Dwight Garner, a book critic at The New … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural History, European History, European Studies, French History, Historiography and Social Theory, History of the Western World, History of Violence, Museums and Historical Memory, Public History, Strategy and International Politics, War and Society, War, Culture, and Society | 1 Comment

National Security Scholars Defend USAID

Posted on February 15, 2025 by briansandberg

Professors of National Security and Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin have published a letter defending USAID and warning that dismantling the agency would damage U.S. national security. The following letter was sent to the Texas Congressional … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, History in the Media, Political Theory, Public History, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

On the Growing Strength of the French Far-Right

Posted on February 14, 2025 by briansandberg

The far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) Party continues to grow in France, threatening to topple the current government, led by centrist François Bayrou, and preparing for the next presidential election. David Broder, an political analyst who publishes on far-right movements … Continue reading →

Posted in Contemporary France, European History, European Studies, European Union, French History, Human Rights | Leave a comment

Challenging Institutional Neutrality

Posted on February 12, 2025 by briansandberg

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) is challenging the concept of “institutional neutrality” in higher education institutions. The AAUP makes a forceful argument against so-called “institutional neutrality” on its website: “The AAUP urges universities not to hide behind the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Authoritarianism, Democracy, Higher Education, Humanities Education, Political Culture, Political Theory, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On Hitler’s Dismantling of Democracy in 53 Days

Posted on February 12, 2025 by briansandberg

Ninety years ago a democratically elected leader dismantled a constitutional republic in record time. This is a good reminder of how constitutional mechanisms can be used to undermine constitutional systems. On 30 January 1933, “Adolf Hitler was appointed the 15th … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Democracy, History in the Media, History of Violence, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Information Management, Political Culture, Political Theory, Republicanism, State Development Theory | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Research and Higher Education Under Assault

Posted on February 12, 2025 by briansandberg

The Trump administration is now launching direct attacks on fundamental research, applied research, higher education, and university and college institutions across the United States. The Washington Post reports that “Days into President Donald Trump’s second term, colleges and universities are … Continue reading →

Posted in Higher Education, Humanities Education, Information Management, Public History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

A “Naked Power Grab”

Posted on February 12, 2025 by briansandberg

The unlawful and unconstitutional actions of Elon Musk and his so-called Department of Government Efficiency constitute a “Naked Power Grab,” according to the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Rosa DeLauro (D – Connecticut). “The Constitution is clear … Continue reading →

Posted in Empires and Imperialism, Humanities Education, Information Management, Public History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Developing Constitutional Crisis

Posted on February 11, 2025 by briansandberg

The United States has entered into the maelstrom of a constitutional crisis. Constitutional lawyers and legal historians seem to agree that Elon Musk’s actions and the Trump administration’s broader attempts to disrupt federal agencies have created an unprecedented constitutional crisis … Continue reading →

Posted in Information Management, Political Culture, Political Theory, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment