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Steve Hochstadt

Steve Hochstadt is a writer and an emeritus professor of history at Illinois College.



  • What Does It Mean to Be Patriotic?

    by Steve Hochstadt

    survey one year ago showed that 72% of Republicans rated themselves “very patriotic”, while only 29% of Democrats chose this label for themselves. Since Trump’s election, the self-proclaimed patriotism of Democrats has dropped significantly.


  • Good Intentions, But Still A Long Way To Go

    by Steve Hochstadt

    Only once those who have enjoyed the privilege of belonging to dominant groups ask themselves whether other people also deserve the same rights will our society get beyond good intentions to equal results.


  • Citizenship and the Census

    by Steve Hochstadt

    Democrats need to tell Americans how we think about citizenship, not just the paperwork and the legalities, but the ethics and good behavior.


  • Team of Rivals in the Democratic Primary

    by Steve Hochstadt

    Democratic voters are clear about what they want from a candidate: not a particular race or gender, but attention to race and gender; not someone who criticizes other Democrats, but someone who can work with Republicans, while also standing up to their pernicious policies.


  • Reduce, reuse, recycle – and a lot more

    by Steve Hochstadt

    We have had plenty of warning for years that we are changing our planet in ways that are bad for it and for us. There is still time to make the necessary changes. But not much.


  • To His Followers, Trump is a Folk Hero

    by Steve Hochstadt

    Villainy unalloyed by any goodness has also propelled many people, almost all men, into the ranks of folk heroes, like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Bonnie and Clyde. These criminals captured the popular imagination, not despite being bad, but because of it.


  • The Weakness of Democracy

    by Steve Hochstadt

    When we extend our gaze beyond the US, we can more easily perceive that democracy often works badly.


  • What is Antisemitism?

    by Steve Hochstadt

    Many, perhaps most accusations of antisemitism are made in good faith for the purpose of calling attention to real religious prejudice. But such accusations are often made for less honest political purposes.


  • Can Artists Remake Society?

    by Steve Hochstadt

    One of the most striking changes triggered by the November Revolution in Germany, and more generally the revolutions in eastern Europe provoked by the Russian Revolution, was the conquest of the art world by a radically new conception of the nature of visual expression.


  • How Far We Have Yet to Go

    by Steve Hochstadt

    We don’t yet know all of the changes we will need to make in our attitudes and actions in order to create full social equality. The work will be difficult, but the goal will be glorious.


  • The Real National Emergency

    by Steve Hochstadt

    The Republican Party has transformed itself into a political force that prioritizes its own power over the sanctity of electoral democracy.