Category Archives: Democracy

Hands Off! Protests across the Nation

Posted on April 9, 2025 by briansandberg

Hands Off! rallies were held in cities and towns across the United States this past weekend. Protesters demonstrated against the Trump administration’s policies and the massive cuts inflicted by Elon Musk’s DOGE team. I participated in the Hands Off! rally … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Higher Education, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Illinois History and Society, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, United States History and Society | Leave a comment

Historians Address the Attacks on Education in the U.S.

Posted on April 5, 2025 by briansandberg

The Organization of American Historians (OAH) is meeting in Chicago this week and many historians have been addressing the Trump administration’s attacks on education in the United States. The OAH is the premier academic association of historians who work on … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Authoritarianism, Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Higher Education, History in the Media, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Public History, The Past Alive: Teaching History, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Challenging Trump’s Use of Unitary Executive Theory

Posted on February 27, 2025 by briansandberg

“In his opening weeks back in office, President Trump is asserting power in a way that pushes hard on, and sometimes past, the boundaries of executive authority,” according to Cass R. Sunstein, Professor of Law (Harvard University). “One of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Human Rights, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Republicanism, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jeff Bezos Declares War on Democracy

Posted on February 26, 2025 by briansandberg

I have cancelled my subscription to The Washington Post today. The reason why? Jeff Bezos has declared war on democracy, free speech, and independent journalism. Today’s actions by Jeff Bezos have destroyed The Washington Post as a credible news organization. … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Information Management, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOGE is Accessing U.S. Citizens’ Personal Information

Posted on February 23, 2025 by briansandberg

Information is power. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claims to be slashing bureaucratic waste and improving government efficiency, however the DOGE team is attempting to gain access to various sensitive digital information systems of the federal government of … Continue reading →

Posted in Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Digital Humanities, Human Rights, Information Management, Information Revolutions, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Printing Revolution, Security Studies, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coup d’état and the Failures of the U.S. Justice System

Posted on February 23, 2025 by briansandberg

Brazil and the United States have both experienced recent coups d’état by their presidents, Jair Bolsonaro and Donald J. Trump. The justice system of Brazil has successfully confronted Bolsonaro by charging him with coup d’état, while the U.S. justice system … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Civil Conflict, Civil Rights Issues, Crowd Studies, Democracy, History of Violence, Legal history, Militias and Paramilitaries, Political Activism and Protest Culture, Political History of the United States, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Europe in Trumplandia

Posted on February 22, 2025 by briansandberg

Europeans are in shock after the recent Munich Security Conference, an annual meeting of European diplomats and international security officials in Germany. Academic colleagues and friends across Europe have been contacting me to ask what exactly the Trump administration is … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Authoritarianism, Contemporary France, Democracy, European History, European Studies, European Union, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Italian History, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Parties and Organizations, Security Studies, State Development Theory, Strategy and International Politics, United States Foreign Policy, United States History and Society, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Declares Himself King

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

President Trump has declared himself king, opposing himself to the legitimately elected representatives of the State of New York over a congestion pricing law. The White House issued a post on X stating that “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atlantic World, Civil Conflict, Comparative Revolutions, Democracy, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, History in the Media, History of the Western World, Legal history, Monarchies and Royal States, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, Republicanism, Revolts and Revolutions, State Development Theory, United States History and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World, World History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

DOGE itself is Unconstitutional

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

A former Associate White House Counsel and legal scholar asserts that the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is not a legitimate department at all, and as such is completely unconstitutional. Alan Charles Raul, former Associate White House Counsel and … Continue reading →

Posted in Authoritarianism, Democracy, History in the Media, Information Management, Political Culture, Political History of the United States, Political Theory, Public History, State Development Theory, United States History and Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Defending Research and Higher Education in the U.S.

Posted on February 21, 2025 by briansandberg

Professors, researchers, and educators across the nation are taking actions to defend research and higher education in the United States. The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) states: “The Trump administration and many state governments are accelerating attacks on academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Civil Rights Issues, Democracy, Education Policy, Higher Education, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Legal history, Political History of the United States, Public History, United States History and Society | Leave a comment