Universities under US Authoritarianism: Fractured Domestic Relations, Emerging Transnational Opportunities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54871/cl4c90azKeywords:
academic freedom, relations between the university and the State, authoritarianismAbstract
Universities in the United States face attacks from President Trump and his far-right MAGA party, which seek to restrict university autonomy and undermine academic freedom. In October 2025, Trump attempted to impose a pact on nine leading universities, conditioning federal funding on specific demands. This essay reflects on the historical relationship between universities and the government, now dismantled, and raises questions about universities’ capacity to resist authoritarian intervention. It examines the role of Democrat-leaning states such as California, and of regional and international frameworks—such as the Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas (CAFA) and the Inter-American Principles on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy (2021)—in countering these attacks.
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