GAAS PolSci Conference 2026: Crisis and Continuity: The Declaration of Independence 250 Years On

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this milestone invites critical reflection on the endurance, evolution, and contestation of its core democratic ideals. Against the backdrop of renewed democratic erosion, political polarization, and the legacy of Trump-era populism, this conference calls on scholars to interrogate the meaning of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” in the 21st century—and to assess the role of foundational American principles in times of democratic uncertainty.

This interdisciplinary conference brings together scholars in political science and the broader field of American Studies to foreground urgent debates about institutional decline, political identity, and democratic resilience. What is the afterlife of 1776 in a moment where core democratic norms and institutions are under pressure? How do we understand the Declaration’s global legacy of freedom and equality in a context of exclusion, racial inequality, and rising autocracy? How do current developments mirror American eras of the past that were defined by exclusion and oppression?