;

Tweets by @myHNN

Political theory

SOURCE: The Nation
3/22/2021

Liberty’s Discontents: The Contested History of Freedom

Annelien de Dijn's book examines the tensions and contradictions inherent in the idea of freedom, arguing that the individualistic, liberty-focused ideal is a recent phenomenon and has obscured ideas of freedom rooted in democracy and collective security.

SOURCE: Aeon
3/9/2021

Lessons From All Democracies

by David Stasavage

The idea of the "torch" of democracy passing from one historical society to the present blinds us to understanding how popular sovereignty arises and why it's resilient. If we are concerned with protecting democracy, we must first understand it.

3/7/2021

Was Madison Mistaken?

by Carl Pletsch

The divisive Trump years have called the wisdom of the Framers into question, but the author contends that James Madison in particular anticipated how a republic would be challenged by partisanship and designed one that could withstand that challenge (he just never claimed it would be easy).

SOURCE: The Nation
2/23/2021

The Broken System: What Comes After Meritocracy?

by Elizabeth Anderson

Philosopher Elizabeth Anderson reviews Michael Sandel's critique of meritocracy, a book that locates an explanation for the Trumpian moment in the rise of competitive individualism in the platforms of both major parties.

SOURCE: Just Security
2/4/2021

Movie at the Ellipse: A Study in Fascist Propaganda

by Jason Stanley

Not enough attention has been paid to the video shown to spectators at Donald Trump's January 6th "Save America" rally. A close look shows it to be a work of propaganda firmly in the tradition of fascism.

SOURCE: Boston Review
1/28/2021

From Revolution to Reformism

by Adam Przeworski

A new book of political theory excerpted here locates the decline of the Left in its adoption of reformist rhetoric that accommodated capitalism's preferences for fiscal stability and austerity.

SOURCE: Boston Review
2/1/2021

Why Black Marxism, Why Now?

by Robin D.G. Kelley

Robin D.G. Kelley places the work of Cedric Robinson in the context of Black radical traditions that have challenged the use of Marxism as a critique of power and politics.

1/14/2021

Donald Trump’s Situational Fascism

by Gavriel Rosenfeld

Rather than engage in an unproductive debate about whether Donald Trump is or is not a bona fide fascist, scholars should consider the events of January 6 (and Trump's role in inciting them) as emergent, contingent results of the interplay of factors latent in American liberal democracy.

SOURCE: New Statesman
1/13/2021

Why Trump Isn't a Fascist

by Richard J. Evans

Richard J. Evans argues that "fascism" arose in the specific context of states defeated in World War I and thus embraced military expansionism and a concurrent militarization of domestic life in addition to racial domination. While Trump is dangerous, labeling him a fascist doesn't explain his political movement.

SOURCE: The Nation
1/11/2021

Ex-Friends: Anne Applebaum and the Crisis of Centrist Politics

Critic David Klion considers the unexamined relationship between the late 20th Century rise of market-oriented liberalism and the 21st century rise of authoritarian nationalism (or, "why so many of her once-close friends have turned out to be fascists").

SOURCE: New York Times
12/14/2020

Just How Dangerous Was Donald Trump?

Times columnist Michelle Goldberg checks on competing evaluations from scholars including Corey Robin, Roger Griffin and Robert O. Paxton – did Trump's lack of command of the machinery of government make him a play-acting authoritarian, or was his rhetoric of national regeneration through his personal leadership exemplary of fascist movements?

SOURCE: New York Times
12/13/2020

Why Getting the Most Votes Matters

Times Editor Jesse Wegman examines the unique absence of majoritarian principle in the election of the American president and argues it goes against the most basic understanding of political fairness.

12/13/2020

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.

SOURCE: The New Yorker
11/12/2020

The Professor and the Politician

by Corey Robin

A new book on Max Weber's political thought suggests that prior interpretations of Weber's lectures have dismissed the possibility of collective action.

SOURCE: History.com
11/9/2020

The Native American Government That Inspired the US Constitution

The government of the Iroquois Confederacy wasn't a template for the Constitution, but it was an example, visible to the framers, of concepts of federalism that were only abstractions in European political theory.

11/1/2020

Alexis de Tocqueville on the Dangers of Presidential Elections

by Kevin M. Cherry

The degree of anger, anxiety and agitation accompanying the presidential campaigns are signs we've failed to heed some important insights from a key observer of American democracy.

11/1/2020

The Shine is off the City on the Hill: American Democracy Seen From Abroad

by Niels Eichhorn

Viewed from abroad, the American belief that their nation exemplifies democracy has always been viewed with skepticism.

9/20/2020

“We Are Ourselves”: Review of For Workers’ Power: The Selected Writings of Maurice Brinton

by Eric Laursen

Maurice Brinton--the pseudonym of a British neurologist--authored an influential series of works of radical political thought that urged the British left to move away from rigid party structures and doctrinal disputes toward social movements.

SOURCE: The New York Times
6/22/2020

Danielle Allen Wins Re-envisioned Kluge Humanities Prize

Dr. Allen, a Harvard political theorist whose work has spanned the Declaration of Independence and the governmental response to Covid-19, will lead an effort to cultivate “civic strength.”