Teaching the January 6th Insurrection: Historical Perspectives on a Crisis in American Democracy
Teaching the January 6th Insurrection: Historical Perspectives on a Crisis in American Democracy
Author(s): ERIC FURE-SLOCUMSubject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Civil Society, Governance, Political behavior, Political psychology, Politics and law, Politics and society, Corruption - Transparency - Anti-Corruption
Published by: Editura Universitatii LUCIAN BLAGA din Sibiu
Keywords: January 6th crisis; pedagogy; Donald Trump; political institutions and discourses; conservatism; white supremacy; anti- regulation; populism; polarization;
Summary/Abstract: This article offers a framework for analyzing and teaching the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol. The crisis itself offers an opportunity to unpack and better understand American political discourses and institutions. I focus on four historical and contemporary currents that elucidate the January 6th crisis: 1) White supremacy and backlashes against Civil Rights; 2) conservative assaults on the New Deal order and the regulatory state; 3) organized labor’s decline, right-wing populism’s rise, and nativism; 4) political polarization, sectarianism, and minority rule. These themes enable students to assess both crucial challenges posed by January 6th and the vitality of American democracy.
Journal: American, British and Canadian Studies
- Issue Year: 2024
- Issue No: 42
- Page Range: 182-207
- Page Count: 26
- Language: English
- Content File-PDF
