US Politics: Inauguration Day – Crisis of Democracy in The USA? With Dr Jenny Mathers From Aberystwyth University
January 20 @ 09:10 - 09:55
This workshop looks ahead to a second Trump presidency, using key indications from Donald Trump’s election campaign to explore wider themes about American politics.
The United States is often upheld as a beacon of democracy, but events in recent years have revealed serious challenges to US democratic institutions and to America’s culture of democracy, which are only likely to intensify over the next four years.
Beginning with a discussion of the purposes of presidential inaugurations and what we might see in Trump’s inauguration on 20 January 2025, the workshop explores the likely impact of a second Trump presidency on: freedom of the press; the impartiality of the law; immigration and the basis of citizenship itself with threats to end birthright citizenship.
Fully interactive, this session looks behind the news headlines to explore the meaning of democracy and the relationship between state institutions and democratic culture.
A level Syllabus Themes: Government and politics of the USA; electoral process and direct democracy; political parties; civil rights.
Lecturer Profile: Dr Jenny Mathers is Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Department of International Politics, Aberystwyth University. Dr Mathers is an expert on security, gender and war, and Russian politics. She has extensive media experience, both in the UK and internationally, as well as experience in advising governments and international organisations on current security issues. Dr Mathers received her undergraduate degree from Mount Holyoke College in the United States and her MPhil and DPhil from Oxford University.
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom, or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but access to the Headliner recording will continue to be accessible.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying or with an interest in studying Politics, International Relations and related subjects. Teachers and members of school staff, as always, are welcome too and participants can join as individuals from school/college or home, or as a group from school/college.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: