19th Annual Academic Symposium – What Questions Will Be Raised?
- What makes a government authoritarian? Is it ideology or a practice?
- How has authoritarianism appeared in different contexts through history? What can we learn by studying the different ways that authoritarianism appears?
- What connections are there between neoliberalism and authoritarianism? Does neoliberalism lead to authoritarianism? Is neoliberalism antidemocratic?
- Is capitalism compatible with democracy?
- What effect does authoritarian policy have on science and the pursuit of truth?
- Is it possible to ensure public health and social welfare under authoritarianism?
- What are some of the techniques authoritarian policies use to discredit education, in general, and science, in particular?
- How does fascism respond to a crisis – real or perceived – in democratic institutions?
- What kinds of educational practices can help to bolster democratic practices and values?
- How does authoritarianism harness the power of business to serve its purposes?
- Does democracy require us to tolerate fascist/authoritarian speech?
- What is the value of truth? Is defense of truth possible under authoritarianism?
- Are some personality types more drawn to authoritarianism?
- How does authoritarianism support individuals’ self-interests, and undermine authentic forms of community and a shared life together?
- What is a Catholic response to these two approaches?
- What is the value of democracy? How can we protect democratic policies and institutions from further authoritarian encroachment? What does a “democratic community” look like?
- How do authoritarian regimes exploit citizens’ anxieties, fears, and biases to assert their power?
- In preparing for retirement, should one be compelled to contribute to Social Security or be allowed to control their retirement investments?
- In the workplace, do the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Labor Relations Board provide democratic or authoritarian mechanisms for oversight?
- In providing global healthcare, what are the roles of U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization from an authoritarian vs. democratic perspective?
- Are school taxes an authoritarian or democratic institution? Should one have to pay school taxes if they do not have children in the school system?
- How do public schools epitomize an authoritarian vs democratic approach to education? Do private or parochial schools tend to be more democratic or autocratic?
- Are our decisions about what is included and excluded from the curriculum framed democratically or autocratically?
- In what contexts do democratic vs. authoritarian approaches to leadership offer advantages or disadvantages?
