CES: What Can’t Happen Here? European Historical Perspectives on Current American Politics

Since the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 45th president of the United States, a cottage industry of political classification and comparison has emerged. Terms like “fascism,” “authoritarianism,” “kleptocracy” and “demagoguery,” – to name just a few – have become commonplace in our political discourse. But what does it all mean? Are historical analogies, particularly to the European past, useful in trying to understand American politics today? Or is the Trump regime a class unto itself? Historians of Europe, Russia, and International Relations will share their perspectives on current U.S. politics in a roundtable format. 

Sponsors

• New Directions in European History Study Group

SPEAKERS:

David Armitage
Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History & Chair, History Department, Harvard University; CES Faculty Associate & Seminar Co-Chair

Peter E. Gordon
Amabel B. James Professor of History, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty & Seminar Co-Chair

Mary D. Lewis
Robert Walton Goelet Professor of French History, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty & Study Group Co-Chair

Charles Maier
Leverett Saltonstall Professor of History, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty

Terry Martin
George F. Baker III Professor of Russian Studies, Harvard University

Derek Penslar
Visiting Professor of History, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty & Study Group Co-Chair

CHAIR:

Maya Jasanoff
Coolidge Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty, CES, Harvard University; Co-Chair, New Directions in European History Study Group, CES, Harvard University

CONTACT:

Roumiana Theunissen
rtheunissen@fas.harvard.edu