crisis leadership dissertation

• < Previous

Home > ETD > 1219

Theses and Dissertations

Authentic leadership in crisis scenarios: a phenomenological examination of the lived experience of corporate leaders during the covid-19 pandemic.

Natasha Brown Follow

The coronavirus pandemic unleashed a host of challenges worldwide including political instability, financial turmoil, and public health concerns in 2020. As a result, new constraints including remote work environments, shifting consumer demands, and supply chain disruptions created a complex landscape for businesses. Leaders within companies have been confronted with crisis scenarios. The purpose of the study was to understand the role of authentic leadership in helping corporate leaders navigate the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The central research question was: To what extent, if any, does authentic leadership enable leaders to navigate crises effectively? The research is focused on the intersection of authentic leadership, crisis leadership, and COVID-19 pandemic era leadership and is grounded in the theoretical framework of social constructivism. The corporate landscape and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 constituted the backdrop for the study.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Crisis management; Authentic leadership

Date of Award

School affiliation.

Graduate School of Education and Psychology

Department/Program

Degree type.

Dissertation

Degree Name

Faculty advisor.

Paul Sparks

Recommended Citation

Brown, Natasha, "Authentic leadership in crisis scenarios: a phenomenological examination of the lived experience of corporate leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic" (2021). Theses and Dissertations . 1219. https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/etd/1219

Since November 23, 2021

Included in

Leadership Studies Commons

• Pepperdine University Libraries
• Harnish Law Library
• Collections
• Disciplines

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS

Author Corner

Additional information.

• Most Popular Papers

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

• < Previous

Home > Dissertations > 437

Dissertations

The art of leadership in times of crisis.

Valissa Tisdale , University of Massachusetts Global Follow

Date of Award

Spring 2-15-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Cindy Petersen

Second Advisor

Keith Larick

Third Advisor

Karen Bolton

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to identify and describe strategies exemplary Navy command master chiefs (CMDCM) used to lead in crisis using the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership (sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning; Boin, ’t Hart, Stern, & Sundelius, 2017) during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. In addition, it was the purpose to understand and describe the experiences of exemplary Navy CMDCM during a time of crisis.

Methodology: This study utilized a qualitative multiple case study research design. Qualitative data were collected through standardized, semistructured open-ended interviews. These interviews were used to describe the crisis leadership strategies U.S. Navy exemplary CMDCMs used to meet the challenge of leading during a crisis, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings: Exemplary U.S. Navy CMDCM interviewed for this study described the importance of maximizing communication, gathering information, leading by example, remaining flexible, and self-reflection of leadership strategies as being related to the five critical tasks of crisis leadership: sense making, decision making and coordination, meaning making, accounting, and learning.

Conclusion: Based on this study’s findings, six conclusions were revealed to strengthen the understanding of the Five Critical Tasks of Strategic Crisis Leadership used by exemplary U.S. Navy CMDCM to effectively lead during the COVID-19 health pandemic of 2020.

Recommendations: This study was conducted through the lens of Navy CMDCM. It is recommended that this study be replicated using CMDCM serving on board naval warships, female CMDCM, CMDCM trained in crisis preparedness, and subordinates. It is also recommended that this study be replicated to understand the training CMDCM receive prior to being assigned to an installation and the training required to prepare of a crisis.

Recommended Citation

Tisdale, Valissa, "The Art of Leadership in Times of Crisis" (2022). Dissertations . 437. https://digitalcommons.umassglobal.edu/edd_dissertations/437

Since March 28, 2022

Included in

Educational Leadership Commons

• Collections
• Disciplines

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS

Author Corner

• Submit Research

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

• Policies/FAQ

Home > DISSERTATIONS > AAI28769910

To download dissertations and theses, please click on the appropriate "Download" button for your campus to log in and be e-verified. When you reach the "Sign into your JWU email" page, enter your JWU username and password.

Non-JWU users: Please talk to your librarian about requesting this dissertation through interlibrary loan.

Crisis Leadership: An Examination of Effective Leadership Styles and Mindset

Morgan Alexandria Blount , Johnson & Wales University

Every day organizations are required to meet the needs of a global, unpredictable and changing environment (Mendes et al., 2016). Within this environment lies an inevitable opportunity for a crisis to arise. In a span of 10 years, more than 90,000 business crises were reported (James et al., 2011). Therefore, leaders need to understand the leadership style that could be most effective during a crisis. Leadership during a crisis can ultimately enhance or weaken an organization. This study utilized the Charismatic, Ideological, and Pragmatic (CIP) Leadership model to investigate which leadership style was perceived to be most effective in a crisis and whether leaders can adapt their behaviors to meet current challenges. The CIP model of leadership proposes three sensemaking approaches shown to be effective throughout different events (Crayne & Medeiros, 2020). Additionally, this study utilized Carol Dweck's (2006) approach to determine if a leader has a growth mindset or fixed mindset. This research explored which leadership style within the CIP Leadership model was most effective and if leaders can change their leadership style to adapt to the current events. This convergent mixed-methods study examined if there was a relationship between the preferred leadership style and mindset to determine if natural leadership style can be adjusted to lead through a dynamic environment. Participants in this study included full-time human resources professionals. Data collection was completed through an online questionnaire that assessed demographic information, leader preference, perceived similarity, and mindset. The resulting action may fill a gap in the literature to determine if there is a relationship between leadership style and mindset. This study can help leaders understand the leadership style within the CIP model of senior managers and determine if the behaviors can be developed. Human resources professionals and leadership teams may develop strategies to help managers lead an organization through a crisis.

Subject Area

Business administration|Organizational behavior|Management

Recommended Citation

Blount, Morgan Alexandria, "Crisis Leadership: An Examination of Effective Leadership Styles and Mindset" (2021). Dissertation & Theses Collection . AAI28769910. https://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/dissertations/AAI28769910

Since February 02, 2022

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Johnson & Wales University
• JWU Library - Charlotte
• JWU Library - Providence
• HELIN Digital Commons
• Dissertations & Theses
• Schools, Colleges, and Academic Departments
• University Libraries

Author Corner

• Policies and Submission Instructions

Home | About | My Account | Policies/FAQ | Standards Compliance & Accessibility

Privacy Copyright

The Journal of the NPS Center for Homeland Defense and Security

Crisis Leadership and Complex Crises: A Search for Competencies

By Michael Saltz

Michael Saltz's Thesis:

– Executive Summary –

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, law enforcement officials are confronted with seemingly more frequent and exponentially more complex crises. These crises often span multiple jurisdictions, requiring a multidisciplinary response and the collaborative efforts of state, local, and federal agencies, as well as private stakeholders. Crises are fraught with uncertainty and ambiguity, yet in the midst of limited and conflicting information, leaders are called upon to make crucial decisions. In the field of public safety, these decisions can have life-or-death implications.

While there has been progress in the strategic or organizational approach to managing both manmade and natural disasters, crisis leadership frameworks and knowledge of the competencies associated with effective crisis leadership are lacking. Even less research exists that explores law enforcement crisis leadership in response to large-scale incidents requiring interagency responses. Thus, a gap remains in the study of the leadership competencies needed for law enforcement to operate during complex crises.

In an effort to reduce this gap, this thesis examined crisis leadership by applying the dimensions of the meta-leadership model to three contemporary homeland security crises: the Washington, DC, Navy Yard shooting, the Christopher Dorner shootings, and the Boston Marathon bombings. The meta-leadership model was derived through an examination of leaders in crisis situations and is purported to be particularly valuable during multi-agency environments. The five dimensions of the model include “the person” or the leader, the problem or “the situation,” “lead the silo” or leading one’s agency, “lead up” or leading up to superiors, and “lead across” or leading connectivity. [1]

The three crisis events selected for this study were all unique in their scale, scope, complexity, and duration. However, what each incident had in common was the need for leaders and agencies to join together to address a threat of mutual interest. While effective crisis management behaviors varied across each case study, common leadership traits, skills, and attributes played a significant role in leaders’ ability to effectively respond to and manage these events.

Utilizing the meta-leadership model as a framework, I identified nine skills and attributes that affect leaders’ ability to lead during crises: experience, collaboration, flexibility/adaptability, organizational intelligence, crisis management, situational awareness/problem solving, ability to see the big picture, anticipation, and decentralized decision making. Preparation and planning, along with developing trusting relationships prior to an incident occurring, were also determined to be crucial elements affecting a leader’s ability to effectively lead during crises. An analysis of leadership’s actions across all three crisis events affirmed the importance leaders play in preparing for and responding to such events.

While many of the meta-leadership competencies are applicable to effective crisis leadership, all of the model’s dimensions could not be supported by these case studies. The model also fell short in stressing the importance of key elements that significantly affect leadership effectiveness, such as experience, technical skills, and training. Additional approaches to leadership during multi-agency crises were also discovered, such as collaborative leadership and swarm intelligence. Therefore, in lieu of attempting to compose a rigid leadership framework, it may prove more useful for agencies to understand and train future crisis leaders in those attributes that have had the greatest impact during actual crisis events. This research supports that crisis leadership requires a number of key, interwoven leadership competencies, but that experience, preparation, and simulation training can have a positive impact on a leader’s actions and decisions during a crisis.

As a result of this study, I make the following recommendations:

• Agencies should ensure leaders have crisis response experience.
• Agencies should have experienced crisis mentors available to assist decision makers during crises.
• Agencies should vigorously train and prepare in an interagency environment.
• Leaders should establish trusting relationships with key partners in advance of a crisis event.
• Agencies should build flexible, decentralized response structures.

[1] Leonard J. Marcus et al., “The Five Dimensions of Meta-Leadership” (pre-publication paper, Harvard School of Public Health, 2007).

Find all CHDS Theses

Homeland Security Digital Library's Thesis Repository

More Articles

Beyond the Border: The Impact of Flawed Migration Strategies in South and Central America on U.S. Immigration

Do the dutch know much a comparative analysis of gender and use of force in law enforcement in the netherlands and the united states, all hands on deck: a preparedness analysis of municipal fire department mutual aid during fires aboard u.s. navy vessels, legitimation of the police: a practitioner’s framework, leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• < Previous

Home > ETDs > Doctoral Dissertations > 588

Doctoral Dissertations

Women who lead: a feminist phenomenology of crisis leadership in higher education.

Ingrid Helene McVanner , University of San Francisco Follow

Date of Graduation

Document type.

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College/School

School of Education

Organization & Leadership EdD

First Advisor

Genevieve Negrón-Gonzales

Second Advisor

Jane Bleasdale

Third Advisor

Daniela Domínguez

The landscape of higher education is rife with crisis events, ranging from the global COVID-19 pandemic to natural disasters and institutional and industry-wide scandals; yet, most institutions of higher education are unprepared to tackle these crises as they arrive. As an industry, higher education is also largely dominated by men at its upper echelons, despite being a field that is predominantly staffed by women. Amidst the backdrop of the attention COVID-19 has brought to female world leaders and the quest for parity in higher education leadership positions, this study sought to explore the lived experiences of women leaders in higher education, with a particular emphasis on leadership experiences during times of crisis, and to illuminate the challenges women may face on the path to higher education leadership and the ways in which those challenges shape their leadership preparation and philosophies. This qualitative, feminist phenomenological study included eight women who had provided administrative leadership in a higher education setting during a crisis, all of whom participated in one semistructured interview between the months of February and March 2021. Data analysis revealed several findings as each research question was investigated. Themes such as (a) socialization as caretakers, (b) inclination toward collaboration and relationships, (c) silver linings, and (d) prior experiences offered insight into the ways women’s experiences shaped their responses to crisis. Additionally, themes including (a) the glass ceiling, (b) disconnection from authentic self, (c) discrimination, and (d) emotional and psychological toll revealed the ways women describe their encounters with patriarchy. Furthermore, themes including (a) preparedness, (b) crisis as opportunity, and (c) evolution of leadership identity gave insight into the ways participants’ crisis experiences affected their leadership philosophies. Finally, an exploration of the development of participants’ leadership identities and their relationships to feminism revealed themes such as (a) motherhood and work-life balance, (b) encounters with patriarchy, (c) critical feminism, (d) identification as a feminist, and (e) support of feminist values. Utilizing a critical feminist lens, this study revealed the ways in which women leaders bring their prior experiences and values to bear in their leadership practices during times of crisis as well as normalcy. This study also revealed the veritable minefields participants had to navigate during their pursuit of leadership, including diminishment of their accomplishments, harassment, and blatant acts discrimination. Recommendations are made for higher education institutions and leaders to facilitate a culture shift in academia, as well as areas for further research.

Recommended Citation

McVanner, I. H. (2021). Women Who Lead: A Feminist Phenomenology of Crisis Leadership in Higher Education. Retrieved from https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/588

Since January 19, 2022

Included in

Educational Leadership Commons , Higher Education Administration Commons , Women's Studies Commons

Advanced Search

• Notify me via email or RSS
• Collections
• Disciplines

Author Corner

• Submit Research
• Electronic Theses/Projects Submission Guide

Library Links

• Gleeson Library
• Zief Law Library

Home | About | FAQ | My Account | Accessibility Statement

Privacy Copyright

MIT Libraries home DSpace@MIT

• DSpace@MIT Home
• MIT Libraries
• Graduate Theses

Managing a crisis : leadership and organizational elements essential for success

Alternative title

Other contributors, terms of use, description, date issued, collections.

The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies

This essay about the role and impact of presidential leadership in modern democracies examines the essential attributes of presidents, including their ability to inspire through vision, manage crises effectively, and shape international relations. It discusses how presidents can influence both national stability and global politics, while also highlighting the potential risks associated with the concentration of power, such as authoritarian tendencies and ethical failures. The piece emphasizes the profound and complex influence of presidential leadership on both political and societal realms.

How it works

In contemporary democracies, the influence and responsibilities of presidential leadership are profoundly impactful and diverse. From the hallowed halls of government to the vibrant public squares, the presidency represents both supreme authority and immense responsibility. This essay explores the essence of presidential leadership in modern democratic states and its effects on both political landscapes and societal norms.

At its core, presidential leadership combines a variety of attributes including vision, charisma, strategic insight, and adept management of both domestic and international affairs.

The modern presidency goes beyond simple administration; it represents a nexus of power and accountability, where the actions of one can reverberate globally and be remembered throughout history.

A key element of effective presidential leadership is the capacity to present a unifying and inspiring vision. Presidents who articulate an inspiring vision can mobilize hope, foster unity, and set a path toward shared goals. For instance, Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal significantly altered the U.S. during the Great Depression, much as Nelson Mandela’s advocacy for unity reshaped post-apartheid South Africa. These leaders demonstrate how visionary leadership can ignite progress in challenging times.

Beyond rhetoric, presidential leadership deeply influences crisis management. During times of economic crises, natural disasters, or global health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential decisions are crucial in steering the nation from turmoil to recovery and reassurance. The effectiveness with which a president manages these crises can determine the balance between disorder and recovery.

Internationally, presidents play critical roles in shaping foreign policy and global interactions. Their ability to handle international relations, forge alliances, and manage conflicts is essential. The diplomatic skills of leaders like John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis or Angela Merkel within the European Union highlight how presidents influence international politics and national interests abroad.

Moreover, presidential leadership involves connecting with citizens on a personal level, understanding their needs, and addressing their concerns. The empathy and compassion a president shows can soothe national distress and promote social healing. This is evident in how leaders respond to national tragedies or advocate for marginalized groups, bridging societal gaps and fostering recovery.

However, presidential power also comes with risks. The centralization of power might lead to authoritarian tendencies, undermining democratic values and trust in public institutions. The rise of populist leaders has highlighted the dangers of charismatic yet divisive leadership that can intensify societal divides and weaken democratic structures.

Additionally, personal failures and ethical violations of presidents can have lasting adverse effects on governance and public perception. Scandals and incompetence can diminish trust and tarnish a presidency, as seen in the historical examples of Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal and Bill Clinton’s impeachment.

In conclusion, presidential leadership in modern democracies is complex and pivotal. It encompasses crafting visions, managing crises, and influencing global affairs. True leadership is tested not by the wielding of power but by the ability to inspire and elevate society. As we move forward in the 21st century, the character and decisions of presidents will crucially shape the futures of their nations and mark their places in history.

Cite this page

The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies. (2024, May 21). Retrieved from https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/

"The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies." PapersOwl.com , 21 May 2024, https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/ [Accessed: 21 May. 2024]

"The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies." PapersOwl.com, May 21, 2024. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/

"The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies," PapersOwl.com , 21-May-2024. [Online]. Available: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/. [Accessed: 21-May-2024]

PapersOwl.com. (2024). The Role and Impact of Presidential Leadership in Modern Democracies . [Online]. Available at: https://papersowl.com/examples/the-role-and-impact-of-presidential-leadership-in-modern-democracies/ [Accessed: 21-May-2024]

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Hire a writer to get a unique paper crafted to your needs.

Our writers will help you fix any mistakes and get an A+!

Please check your inbox.

You can order an original essay written according to your instructions.

Trusted by over 1 million students worldwide

1. Tell Us Your Requirements

2. Pick your perfect writer

3. Get Your Paper and Pay

Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant!

Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert.

short deadlines

100% Plagiarism-Free

Certified writers

U.S. Congress Candidate Dr. Mark Baker Discusses Platform and Leadership

C andidate for the U.S. Congress in the 13th congressional district, Dr. Mark Baker discussed his platform and vision for leadership in a recent interview on The Rashad Richey Morning Show .

Dr. Baker highlighted his experience in passing progressive legislation, including abolishing Columbus Day, ending no-knock warrants, and passing a reparations bill.

Dr. Baker emphasized the need for a fresh voice in the district, which has been represented by an incumbent for over 20 years. He pledged to bring his message of progressive values to the forefront and work to protect women's reproductive rights, stop the privatization of Medicare and Medicaid, and address the water supply crisis in Clayton County and Covington.

When asked about the current state of the U.S. Congress, Dr. Baker acknowledged that it is an uphill battle, but emphasized the importance of staying connected to the people and amplifying their voices. He believes that galvanizing the community and creating a sense of urgency can help bring about change.

Dr. Baker encouraged listeners to visit his website, BakerforGeorgia.com, to learn more about his platform and get involved in his campaign.

To listen to the full interview, click the link above.

Dr. Rashad Richey, host of the award-winning ‘Rashad Richey Morning Show’ on News & Talk 1380 – WAOK/V-103FM (HD3) (Weekdays 7am -10am), and the ‘Dr. Rashad Richey Review’ on SiriusXM’s Urban View (Sundays at 1pm and 9pm), was voted 'Best Talk Radio Personality in Atlanta' by readers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and named 'Most Trusted Voice in Atlanta' by the Atlanta Business Journal, making him the first African-American to receive these distinctions.

The intelligent and fearless television news anchor for the opinion news show, 'Indisputable with Dr. Rashad Richey’ on the TYT Network, which was named 'fastest growing TV news show in America', and Political Commentator for The People's Station V-103 FM, America's largest urban station, also serves as President of Rolling Out, the largest free-print urban publication in the country. This multimedia powerhouse with over 3-million combined subscribers/followers on Facebook Watch, YouTube, Podcasts, and Twitch combined, is a noted multidisciplinary academic scholar and university professor/lecturer and an Emmy-nominated television Political Analyst for CBS News Atlanta. 

Believing in the power of knowledge and education, Dr. Richey holds several advanced degrees, making him one of the most academically credentialed individuals in American history according to America News Now. Completing doctoral research studies in federal policy reform from Clark Atlanta University, Dr. Richey also holds a PhD from the Business University of Costa Rica where his research and doctoral dissertation highlighted the nuances and intersectionality of politics, policy and religion. 

Being a student of leadership, Dr. Richey completed studies in Executive Leadership at Cornell University and was accepted into a specialty executive law program at Harvard University in International Finance: Policy, Regulation, and Transactions. Understanding the connectivity of culture and science, Dr. Richey earned his Master of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Pacific, where his master’s thesis researched cognitive functionalities of brain entrainment. Dr. Richey also completed a Master of Science in Applied Physics and Quantum Mechanics from Universidad Empresarial, his master’s thesis was adapted into a book titled, ‘Ancient Egyptian Mastery of Quantum Physics, Vibratory Frequency, and Geometric Sciences: An Overview of Complex Scientific Applications in Ancient Cultures’, which quickly became the #1 Physics, #1 Science, #1 History, and #1 Egyptian Genre book on the Amazon platform. 

Recently, Dr. Richey completed his Juris Doctor (law degree) from Renaissance University after transferring from Birmingham School of Law, where he attended for 2 years. He accepted the position as Director of Global Legal Operations for the multinational law firm, The International Law Group of Human & Civil Rights Attorneys P.C., also known as The Fairness Firm, with offices in the USA, Canada, France, Spain, and Cape Town Africa.

As host of The Rashad Richey Morning Show, Dr. Richey has interviewed everyone from Vice-President Kamala Harris to TI, and always brings relevant information, the best on-air debates, and most insightful interviews in media. Tune in every weekday morning from 7am-10am on News and Talk 1380-WAOK, V-103FM (HD3),  www.WAOK.com , or on the Audacy App.

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

It Was a Trap

A time-honored tactic by right-wing agitators brought on the “crisis” on american campuses. everyone fell for it—again..

In 2001, a Vietnam-era student radical named David Horowitz decided to once again start causing trouble on campus. A few years earlier, several scholars and activists had begun to argue that the U.S. should pay reparations to descendants of slaves. Horowitz, whose politics had taken a sharp right turn since the 1960s, thought that this was a very bad idea. So he contacted several college newspapers, seeking to place a full-page ad , during Black History Month, titled, “Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery Is a Bad Idea—and Racist Too.”

The ad, which had been adapted from a Salon column he had published the previous year, seemed designed to stir passions on the campuses where it ran. In it, Horowitz deemed reparations “an extravagant new handout that is only necessary because some blacks can’t seem to locate the ladder of opportunity within reach of others”; argued that “the reparations claim is one more assault on America, conducted by racial separatists and the political left”; and asked the question: “What about the debt blacks owe to America?”

Horowitz’s inflammatory arguments were not very well received. Many of the newspapers to which Horowitz submitted the ad rejected it entirely. At Brown University, angry students stole thousands of newspapers in which the ad had been printed. At the University of California, Berkeley, students marched on the offices of the student newspaper, prompting its editor in chief to publicly apologize for running the ad in the first place. The mainstream media soon picked up on the furor, and the ensuing press attention ended up making all of the students involved look like twits, while giving Horowitz exponentially more attention than the ads alone would have in the first place.

Perceptive observers surmised that this had been his goal all along . In addition to his position on reparations, Horowitz also harbored a grudge against American academia, which he had reportedly called “a dictatorship of the left.” (He has since written several books expounding on that tendentious thesis.) The polemical advertisement was clearly designed not to engage in good faith with the notion of reparations, but to elicit isolated intemperate reactions among campus activists. Then, Horowitz could use those reactions to advance the notion that all of academia was biased and intolerant, while he, the author of books such as Hating Whitey and Other Progressive Causes and The Politics of Bad Faith: The Radical Assault on America’s Future , came across as the righteous party. Hell of a trick!

I thought about the Horowitz reparations hubbub this week, as I watched cops march on college campuses all across the country, charged with clearing encampments of students and others who were protesting the grim excesses of Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. Lots of people have written lots of things about the Gaza campus protests, the various official responses to them, the validity of the arguments being advanced, and the relative merits of the tactics being used to advance and/or squelch those arguments. But no matter your opinion on any of these topics, no matter what you might think about the protests and how they’ve played out, I suspect that everyone can probably agree on at least one thing: No one in the history of the universe is more easily rolled by bad-faith right-wing agitators than college students, professors, and administrators.

Whenever conservative demagogues are looking for patsies and suckers to help them make the left look like fools while advancing some stupid reactionary talking point, they know exactly where to turn: the sun-dappled quads of American academia. Students, professors, and administrators consistently fall into traps set by right-wing political actors, traps that are generally designed to use isolated incidents of alleged identitarian excess on campus in order to disparage liberalism more generally, thus sending swing voters into the all-American arms of whichever sturdy Republican candidates are up for election that year. Colleges and universities are the American right’s absolute favorite punching bag, because their denizens never see the uppercut coming, and they never, ever learn to sidestep the blow. They’re like the Washington Generals: They lose, lose, lose, lose, lose.

Spinning alleged campus excesses into a broader political narrative of liberal chaos and disorder has been a favorite conservative tactic since at least the late 1960s, when Main Street disapproval of the youth-driven protests over the Vietnam War helped to narrowly deliver the 1968 presidential election to an anthropomorphic sheet of sandpaper named Richard Nixon. Modern-day right-wing media have basically built their brand on the backs of left-wing students and professors, whose minor protests and marginal curricula have been consistently inflated into Major Issues by commentators eager to disparage academia and liberalism more generally. The contemporary Republican notion that America is on the brink of collapse is in large part a culture-war trope propagated by activists such as Christopher Rufo, who have spun their own willful misinterpretations of obscure academic disciplines such as critical race theory into boogeymen with which to terrify viewers and voters into thinking that their heritage is under direct attack.

It’s not hard to understand why the reactionary right bears such a grudge against academia. For one thing, the collegiate spirit of free inquiry and rational debate flies directly in the face of Trumpian because-we-said-so authoritarianism, not to mention the begged questions and other logical fallacies that animate modern Republican discourse. The identity-based disciplines found at many schools threaten a reactionary worldview rooted in the purported superiority of some monochromatic past; many on the religious right, meanwhile, seem to see heresy in the ways that liberal arts educations try to teach students to think for themselves. And I have long suspected that some of today’s most stridently disingenuous Republican pundits and politicians are motivated in part by bad memories of their own college years, in which they felt isolated within their own conservative worldviews and subsequently transmuted those feelings into seething lifelong resentments.

Or, hey, maybe they’re just political opportunists who know that collegiate actors will consistently make the sorts of moves that allow the right to portray them as fools. There was probably a bit of all of this working on New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik when, a few months ago, she hauled various university presidents into Congress, insisted that certain student protesters’ use of the word “intifada” and phrase “from the river to the sea” directly equated to calls for genocide, and then watched them fumble their responses in truly embarrassing fashion.

The subsequent resignations of the presidents of Penn and Harvard, respectively, were unforced errors on the parts of highly educated people who, first, should have more directly challenged Stefanik’s partisan premises, and, second, should have probably realized that the en vogue campus notion that speech sometimes equates to violence would eventually be co-opted by right-wingers eager to exploit campus unrest for their own political gain. (I’m often reminded of how, back when the rise of the social web was leading a lot of otherwise-smart people to profess that the internet would soon bring about a state of digital utopia, the writer Evgeny Morozov kept making a very trenchant point that almost nobody wanted to hear: Bad people know how to use the internet, too .) The scalps of Liz Magill and Claudine Gay were nice trophies for the ambitious Stefanik, who is rumored to be in contention for Donald Trump’s vice presidential slot. But the hearings and subsequent leadership turnover also helped to promote the narrative of widespread chaos on campus—a narrative that’s a boon to Republicans in an election year.

So it wasn’t much of a surprise when Congress held a second round of hearings about alleged campus antisemitism. And it wasn’t much of a surprise when, eager to avoid the fate of her former peers, Columbia University president Nemat Shafik seemed directly receptive to her inquisitors’ premises and took a harder-line stance against alleged campus antisemitism than did her predecessors. And it also wasn’t surprising, when, in direct response to Shafik’s testimony , Columbia students set up a protest encampment on the lawn outside Butler Library, which was followed by multiple police actions, complementary protests at other schools nationwide, and the flood of media attention that has turned this manufactured campus crisis into front-page national news for weeks on end.

For the purposes of this column, let’s set aside questions of the merits of the protests and the various police and administration responses to them. It’s incredibly obvious—to me, at least—that pretty much all of the relevant parties here got rolled by the American right. On the hunt for footage and storylines that they can then inflate into broader narratives of chaos, intolerance, and disorder in a critical election year, the right spun campus protests over Gaza into congressional hearings on campus antisemitism, and trusted that everyone involved would respond so ineptly that they’d be able to exploit the whole thing for months.

And, mark my words, that is exactly what right-wing politicians and media outlets will do. Even though the campus protests may die down once the semester ends, the footage and discussion of them will live on throughout the spring and summer. The right will draw false equivalencies between the brief occupation of Hamilton Hall and the events of Jan. 6; they’ll disparage President Joe Biden and liberal politicians for “allowing” the protests to happen; they’ll fold it into deathless narratives of decaying liberal cities and elitist intolerance; and they’ll make everyone involved look like idiots while portraying themselves as the righteous parties—the heroes of this whole stupid situation. David Horowitz is probably very proud.