Michael Kazin

mkazin

Michael Kazin is a professor of history at Georgetown University and emeritus coeditor of Dissent. His most recent book, What It Took to Win: A History of the Democratic Party, has just been released in paperback.

Jock the monkey listens in on the Scopes trial, 1923.

The Scopes Trial and the Two Visions of US Democracy The Scopes Trial and the Two Visions of US Democracy

A new history revisits “the Trial of the Century” and its legacy in contemporary politics.

Sep 30, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders during a 2020 presidential primary debate.

Democrats and the Left: A Mutual Dependency Democrats and the Left: A Mutual Dependency

Mass movements stoke the fires of popular discontent, but only the state can pass laws and overhaul key institutions.

Jan 9, 2024 / Michael Kazin

Big Bill Haywood, Adolph Lessing, and Carlo Tresca, Paterson, New Jersey, 1913.

The Wobblies and the Dream of One Big Union The Wobblies and the Dream of One Big Union

A new history examines the lost promise and fierce persecution of the IWW.

May 15, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

A saturated, dark photo of the White House. The fountain is bright against the red bushes and green grass.

Who Should Be the Democratic Presidential Nominee in 2024? Who Should Be the Democratic Presidential Nominee in 2024?

Four writers argue who would make the best candidate: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Gretchen Whitmer, or Ro Khanna?

Aug 22, 2022 / The Debate / Joan Walsh, Bhaskar Sunkara, Michael Kazin, and John Nichols

US flag waved at BLM celebration

Is There a Place for Patriotism on the Left? Is There a Place for Patriotism on the Left?

Michael Kazin argues that ones need patriotism to engage effectively in the democratic process, while Rafia Zakaria writes that “love of the flag” undermines commitments to interna...

Mar 4, 2022 / The Debate / Michael Kazin and Rafia Zakaria

The Anti-Intellectual Intellectuals of the Conservative Movement

The Anti-Intellectual Intellectuals of the Conservative Movement The Anti-Intellectual Intellectuals of the Conservative Movement

Why is Mark Levin’s American Marxism so popular?

Dec 27, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

Where Would We Be Without the New Deal?

Where Would We Be Without the New Deal? Where Would We Be Without the New Deal?

A new history charts the forgotten ways the social politics of the Roosevelt years transformed the United States.

Jul 26, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

Will We Ever Get Rid of the Electoral College?

Will We Ever Get Rid of the Electoral College? Will We Ever Get Rid of the Electoral College?

The system that is nobody’s first choice.

Sep 22, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

Eric Foner’s Story of American Freedom

Eric Foner’s Story of American Freedom Eric Foner’s Story of American Freedom

Charting the ironies of freedom won and lost during and after the Civil War, the American historian has also helped us better understand the ambiguous consequences of what were alm...

Dec 2, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

The Southern Paradox: The Democratic Party Below the Mason-Dixon Line

The Southern Paradox: The Democratic Party Below the Mason-Dixon Line The Southern Paradox: The Democratic Party Below the Mason-Dixon Line

Why and how the region switched from being the stronghold of one party to the base of its adversary.

Feb 21, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Michael Kazin

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