An illustration of a cowboy with a serious expression

American Individualism and American Power

The American habitus was forged partly by the conquest of Native land and partly by the experiences of superiority and entitlement among white enslavers.
Gaslighting illustration concept with two hands with tangled string over someone's head

Audacity and Gaslights: Empowering or Zombifying Citizens?

Political scientists Eric Beerbohm and Ryan W. Davis consider how citizens can protect against gaslighting while staying open to audacious ideas of change.
Abstract illustration of faceless man in dark suit.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Authoritarianism

Is the global state system in crisis, with authoritarianism, nationalism, populism, and illiberalism running amok?
President Nicolas Maduro on August 2, 2024 at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela.

Democratic Backsliding

Political scientist Javier Corrales uses Venezuela as a case-study of democratic backsliding that’s been initiated by the winner of an election, not the loser.
Aerial view of Malabo´s harbour, Malabo´s Island, Equatorial Guinea

Grappling with Equatorial Guinea

A brief history of Africa’s most brutal dictator and what his legacy means for Equatorial Guinea today.
Illustration of protestors at a Protest March

When Does Political Resistance Work?

The effectiveness of popular movements for social change depends on both underlying political conditions and the strategies adopted by activists.
Publicity photo on the set of the CBS anthology television series Studio One for a presentation of George Orwell's 1984

Turning Orwell into Propaganda

Many read the novels of George Orwell as pro-capitalist/anti-socialist propaganda, but his work has become a resource for all kinds of political arguments.
12th September 1953: John Kennedy (1917 -1963) and Jacqueline Bouvier (1929 - 1994) pose with their ushers and maids of honor on their wedding day,

The Literal Magic of the Kennedys

Americans have long viewed the Kennedy family as a kind of magical royalty associated with occult notions and conspiracies.
James Dalton Highway, Alaska.

State Politics and Public Lands Management

Judging by past executive orders, the US president’s newest policies on public lands may turn federal responsibilities over to state or local governments.
A series of posters created by the American Forces Information Service (AFIS)

Life Advice From the Armed Forces

These American Forces Information Service posters shared via JSTOR by The University of Alabama in Huntsville offer us the wisdom we didn’t know we needed.