History for the Future

Through interviews with historians and journalists, History for the Future explores the historical roots of contemporary social issues and policies, often revealing the hidden assumptions and political choices defining the present.

By Kevin C. Brown | Corporations, History, Politics
A discussion with Kim Phillips-Fein, author of a book that traces the conservative movement in the U.S. as it slowly regrouped in the aftermath of the passage of the New Deal. More
By Kevin C. Brown | History, Politics
Robert O. Self discusses how struggles over family were central to the ascendency of conservative ideology in the U.S. after the 1960s and how disputes over the relationship between government and family could result in future political realignments. More
By Craig Gurian | Citizenship, Civil rights, History, Law
An interview with Rebecca Scott, professor of law and history at the University of Michigan. More
By Kevin C. Brown | Employment, History, Labor
An interview with Erin Hatton, a SUNY Buffalo sociologist and author of the book, “The Temp Economy: From Kelly Girls to Permatemps in Postwar America.” More
By Kevin C. Brown | Education, History, Poverty
John Marsh discusses his book, "Class Dismissed: Why We Cannot Teach or Learn Our Way Out of Inequality." Marsh’s study questions the limits of education as a tool for eliminating inequality and poverty in the United States. More
By Kevin C. Brown | History, Labor, Politics
A History for the Future interview with labor historian Jefferson Cowie on the death of the New Deal order and the rise of working class conservatism over the course of the 1970s. More

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