This article examines the transformation of American universities into a central political battleground over the past decade, focusing on the intersection of federal policy, identity politics, and the production of knowledge. Tracing developments from Donald Trump’s first presidency through his second term, it analyzes the impact of executive intervention in research funding, the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies, and the narrowing of academic freedom, particularly in rela…
Read moreThis article examines the transformation of American universities into a central political battleground over the past decade, focusing on the intersection of federal policy, identity politics, and the production of knowledge. Tracing developments from Donald Trump’s first presidency through his second term, it analyzes the impact of executive intervention in research funding, the dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies, and the narrowing of academic freedom, particularly in relation to debates over Israel, antisemitism, and student protest. The article also situates these developments within a broader intellectual context, arguing that the crisis of academic freedom cannot be understood without reference to deeper epistemological tensions within the humanities, including presentism, identity-driven scholarship, and the erosion of disciplinary norms. Rather than framing recent events as an isolated authoritarian turn, the essay interprets them as symptoms of a longer-term structural crisis affecting the American university system.
