Universities and American Democracy: Restoring the Social Contract

Today, distrust for academic expertise is threatening academic freedom and the capacity of the history discipline to speak honestly about the past. Both elected leaders and the public have lost trust in universities. In his presentation, Johann Neem will examine the sources that have stressed the social contract between universities and American democracy, before turning to the ways that this loss of trust has created a crisis for the discipline. He will end by exploring how historians can help rebuild trust and play a part in restoring the social contract between expert knowledge and the nation.