Recently Published

50 Years Later, the Pentagon Papers Remain an Historic Landmark for Freedom of the Press

by Jared Schroeder

While democratic norms have, at times, seemed paper thin in recent years, the Court’s terse decision in the Pentagon Papers decision persists as a bulwark against government efforts to halt publication.

Should Immigration Courts Operate under the Attorney General? History Says this is an Accident that Should be Undone

by Alison Peck

Franklin Roosevelt was pushed fear of a Nazi fifth column and big business's hostility toward foreign-born labor leaders to shift immigration courts from the Department of Labor to the Department of Justice, where they act as an extension of law enforcement. Legislation to make them independent is long overdue. 

Experts Beware: Is America Headed for a Scopes Moment over Critical Race Theory?

by Charles J. Holden

William Jennings Bryan wasn't trying to win a debate in the Scopes Trial. He tried – successfully – to draw cultural battle lines. The fact that today's opponents of "Critical Race Theory" are often poorly informed is similarly beside the point. 

It's Time for a "Don't Trust, Do Verify" US-Russia Cybersecurity Treaty

by Glenn C. Altschuler and Justin Lifflander

The Reagan-Gorbachev summit meetings that yielded the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and established mutual weapons monitoring weren't expected to succeed, but offer hope that negotiations between Biden and Putin could advance progress toward needed mutual cybersecurity action. 

American Conference for Irish Studies Connects the Past, Future of Irish-American Relations

by Mark Holan

The recent virtual American Conference for Irish Studies meeting convened scholars and diplomats to discuss challenges posed by Brexit and opportunities for cooperation between the United States, Northern Ireland, and the Republic. 

A Celebrity Apology and the Reality of Taiwan

by Evan Dawley

Actor John Cena's blunder into the Taiwan-China controversy should be an opportunity for Americans to learn more about the history of this conflict and of an independent Taiwanese identity that has been shaped by Japanese colonization, Chinese nationalism, war, and the Communist revolution. 

The Night Vietnam Veterans Stormed Bunker Hill

by Elise Lemire

The Battle of Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775 was a military defeat for the Continental Army but a coup for morale. In 1971, Vietnam Veterans Against the War won a nonviolent battle at the site for the allegiance of the working class residents of Charlestown. 

Valor Roll: American Newsies in the Great War and the Flu Pandemic

by Vincent DiGirolamo

Newsies were a critical labor force in the early 20th century, connecting Americans to information. The author of a history of Newsies shows that their service drew praise in the First World War but suspicion in the ensuing influenza pandemic.

The New Meaning of "The Loyal Opposition"

by Glenn C. Altschuler

The concept of a loyal opposition depends on the deference of non-governing parties to the authority of democratic institutions and the normative framework in which they operate. That deference seems to be collapsing. 

Why a Culture War Over Critical Race Theory? Consider the Pro-Slavery Congressional "Gag Rule"

by Frank Palmeri and Ted Wendelin

Like the Southern delegations who opposed discussion of slavery, opponents of Critical Race Theory believe that any discussion of persistent racial inequities in legal and other institutions is unacceptable because it is “divisive.”

Paying People to Get Vaccines is an Old Idea Whose Time has Come Again

by Margaret DeLacy

John Haygarth devised a system for rewarding working-class residents of Chester for receiving the risky smallpox inoculation and maintaining social distance afterward. The effort was largely superseded by the more effective and safer Jenner vaccination, but was a foundational public health experiment that pays dividends today.

Whataboutism Didn't Get Nixon Off the Hook. It Shouldn't Stop Investigation of the Capitol Riots

by James Robenalt

There's a long and ignominious tradition of playing "whatabout" to thwart investigations into official misconduct, so it's no surprise the move was part of Republicans' rejection of a January 6 commission. 

John Cena's Taiwan Controversy Recalls Richard Nixon's Biggest Mistake

by Justin Coffey

John Cena's recent social media kerfuffle over Taiwan reflects the legacy of Richard Nixon's acquiescence to a "One China" policy advanced by the People's Republic, in hindsight the worst error of his presidency.

America's First Peaceful (Just Barely!) Transfer of Power

by Akhil Reed Amar

While the selection of Thomas Jefferson as the third president in 1801 (after an electoral college deadlock) is touted as a crucial peaceful transfer of presidential power from one party to another, the transition was far more fraught with peril than most realize. 

Understanding Gun and Police Violence Lies Between History and Power

by Kwasi Konadu

Dealing effectively with gun violence and police violence requires recognizing they are connected by the long history of America's culture of force in defense of the social order. The National Gun Violence Awareness Day observed today should reflect this connection.

Politics Aside, Was Trump Even an Effective Leader?

by George C. Edwards III

Trump's supposed dealmaking genius amounted to playing to his base to the detriment of any policy agenda. 

The War Beat, Pacific: How the American News Media Went to War Against Japan

by Steven Casey

Censorship, technological limitations, and competition with news from Europe in World War II made the early part of the Pacific theater a "shrouded war," but not for lack of effort by war journalists. 

Disregard for the Electoral Process is New and Alarming

by Donne Levy

How did the nation reach the point where one party is openly rejecting the democratic process? 

The Post-Trump GOP: Rebirth or Stillbirth?

by Michael A. Genovese

The Republicans are betting that sticking with Trump's MAGA posture will usher in a political realignment with a broader GOP base. History shows that with anger and resentment standing in for a substantive policy agenda that meets the challenges of the times such a realignment is unlikely.

The Settler Colonialist Frame Helps Clarify What's at Stake in the Middle East for Israelis, Palestinians, and Peace

by Jeff Kolnick

Looking at the recent resurgence of armed conflict between Israel and Hamas as part of a project of settler colonialism clarifies the nature of the conflict, and suggests that the immediate cessation of eviction of Palestinians is essential for peace.