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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHarvard University plays its trump card
Last edited Wed May 28, 2025, 01:29 AM - Edit history (1)
In response to the attacks from the Trump administration, Harvard University is offering free online courses in U.S. civics, the Constitution and how to recognize dictatorship.
https://pll.harvard.edu/subject/government
Scroll down, and you will see the free courses. Enroll if you want, but most importantly, spread word. This is invaluable not just for educating citizens but for summoning good will and support for the university in its fight.
EDIT TO ADD: Many of these classes were offered previous to Harvard's entanglement with Trump. There appears to be no class specifically named for recognizing autocracy.

malaise
(286,474 posts)Rec
Irish_Dem
(72,217 posts)chicoescuela
(2,115 posts)Irish_Dem
(72,217 posts)erronis
(20,570 posts)Irish_Dem
(72,217 posts)I would use more modern figures, the serial killers, famous mob bosses, TV and movie figures, celebrities, etc.
erronis
(20,570 posts)Here we are, again.
Irish_Dem
(72,217 posts)Last edited Sat May 24, 2025, 08:53 PM - Edit history (1)
To produce clinicians.
Most psych majors will be horrified to see psychopaths running the country.
Klondike Kat
(893 posts)History is full of tyrants.
IMO, can psychopathy really be treated?
I would think that they would have to be separated
from the rest of human society.
Also, I cannot imagine a psychopath even taking
this course.
IOW, I really see the offering of this course as a
dig at Republicans, the great majority of which
are indeed psychopaths.
markie
(23,495 posts)good time to brush up
hlthe2b
(110,629 posts)C_U_L8R
(47,660 posts)Nevilledog
(54,437 posts)My 78 yo mother-in-law is coming for a 6 week stay. While we generally agree on social and political issues, she has several friends that are Fox viewing morons. She never feels like she's strong enough to fight back when they spout their lies, but I'm hoping she'll gain some confidence to state her position if we do some of these courses together. I'll let you know.
Pisces
(6,061 posts)Paladin
(31,013 posts)walkingman
(9,528 posts)to my friends and family that are Trumpers! They will totally flip out and probably never speak to me again.
Something like -
"Ok, I'm sending you this....free online courses at Harvard University, just in case you have forgotten your civics class in HS or College. We all need a refresher from time to time. Hope you are doing well - this administration is making me sick at my stomach. ☮ "
ChazInAz
(2,929 posts)I was talking with one of my housemates last night, a beautiful young British lady who's studying for her citizenship exam. We agreed that most Americans younger than I am (75) wouldn't be able to pass it.
EverHopeful
(555 posts)and was embarrassed by how much I'd forgotten in such a relatively short time away from HS civics classes.
Definitely time for me to sign up for these classes.
misanthrope
(8,930 posts)Send it to them and tie it in with approaching 250th anniversary of the nation in 13 months. Tell them you thought it would be a great way for everyone to celebrate our rights as Americans that the Founding Fathers risked so much for and that we need to preserve. Frame it as both fun, beneficial and patriotic. Don't work in any digs at the POTUS, that way they could be more prone to take you up on it.
walkingman
(9,528 posts)Biophilic
(5,873 posts)Good for you.
MadameButterfly
(3,248 posts)If it weren't so serious I'd be making popcorn.
Maybe I'll make the popcorn anyway.
UpInArms
(53,100 posts)Thank you … thank you … thank you!
ETA
Have been sharing this madly and gladly!
MadameButterfly
(3,248 posts)how cool that would be!
Maybe I sign up and bail before the exams
Hekate
(98,530 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(166,210 posts)
spanone
(139,604 posts)TygrBright
(21,161 posts)orangecrush
(25,582 posts)
liberalla
(10,595 posts)Thank you Harvard!
a kennedy
(33,924 posts)
Ms. Toad
(37,282 posts)I took free online courses from Harvard close to 2 decades ago, and several of the civics courses on the page you linked to were offered in 2023 (according to the Wayback machine).
misanthrope
(8,930 posts)that some of the courses pertaining to what I mentioned up top were made free just in the last few days.
Ms. Toad
(37,282 posts)At least as near as I can tell from your description of the courses. (https://pll.harvard.edu/subject/government" target="_blank">Here's the page from two years ago in March) And Harvard has participated in offering free courses through EdX since 2012.
TnDem
(1,031 posts)I took a free course called "Justice" over five years ago.
usonian
(18,982 posts)
Or as The Lampoon put it: "Johnny on the pot"
Compare. Our Dicktater all sore-ass over Mexican toilet paper.

elleng
(140,140 posts)aggiesal
(10,176 posts)but I could not find the Dictatorship course.
synni
(451 posts)"How to recognize dictatorship!" Beautiful!
Mr. Jinx
(1,385 posts)Good for Harvard on this.
wblffmike
(5 posts)He will try to take credit for educating people about government.
Tanuki
(15,930 posts)Bernardo de La Paz
(57,015 posts)marybourg
(13,504 posts)He is mentioned for his Muslim exclusion order. True and unbiased statements about the history of slavery and the Civil Rights movement are featured. FDR, LBJ, Obama and Biden ( read the transcript as it scrolls down. At one point Obama was substituted for Biden) are shown in a positive light.
boonecreek
(1,129 posts)Had to pass a Constitution test to graduate. IIRC we had to ace it.
I'm definitely taking a couple of these. Thanks for posting.
dchill
(42,660 posts)underpants
(191,405 posts)Scalded Nun
(1,438 posts)Harvard should consider rescinding all degrees from those GOPers involved.
Rescind on the basis of lack of ethical standards and their refusal to honor, support and defend our constitution.
Every law school in this country should pull those degrees. They are an embarrassment to the schools from where they graduated.
Just like the ABA should revoke law licenses from all lawyers in the Trump administration, including the Attorney General and FBI director (if he has one). That is assuming the ABA can do that. I do not know for certain, but if they can, they should.
SunSeeker
(56,151 posts)czarjak
(13,014 posts)EDUCATION’S PURPOSE IS TO REPLACE AN EMPTY MIND WITH AN OPEN ONE
Journeyman
(15,359 posts)and thanks for the links.
Cha
(312,962 posts)



Mahalo, misanthrope
Dark n Stormy Knight
(10,408 posts)If only we can get those who most need it to participate.
calimary
(87,023 posts)A lot of closed minds out there, though.
frogstar0
(160 posts)"Enrolled at Harvard University" "Taken classes from Harvard." etc
Prairie_Seagull
(4,282 posts)please get them involved at least with the civics stuff. We all know how lacking this is in our current system. For me, I had a great civics teacher in high school. Probably responsible for much that I am.
IMO
panfluteman
(2,184 posts)hamsterjill
(16,098 posts)Thanks for the link and information.
twodogsbarking
(14,352 posts)Last edited Sun May 25, 2025, 04:33 PM - Edit history (1)
twodogsbarking
(14,352 posts)If he follows his game plan.
LetMyPeopleVote
(166,210 posts)tornado34jh
(1,494 posts)Although they are still good as a basic reference, most of what I know wasn't from textbooks because they change every year and it doesn't always reflect what is actually going on, although I was in a good school system nonetheless (Fairfax County in Virginia). Most of my learning I did on my own, research, going to museums, visiting other countries to see how they compare, that sort of thing. I was good at history, especially world history. But again, you can learn it all you want, but if you don't put it into practice, as evident from what we have now, then it is meaningless. Of course, world history is a big thing to understand. One the big reasons we are in this mess is because we haven't learned anything when a government like this occurs in other countries. That's why they are after higher education, because it is one of the only ways we can learn from it and develop critical thinking. All dictatorships want a dumb population so that they can easily control them. It happened in Nazi Germany, and we're quickly following its lead.