Joel Olson

Extremism and American Political Thought

This paper examines the use of the American jeremiad in the abolitionist and anti-abortion movements in the U.S. The American jeremiad is the lament, ubiquitous in political thought and culture in the U.S., that Americans are a chosen people who have failed to fulfill their calling, yet can still redeem themselves by returning to their moral and intellectual roots. Fanatics such as the abolitionist John Brown and anti-abortion activists Randall Terry, Paul Hill, and Scott Roeder embrace the...

Nicole Kazee

Nicole Kazee

Former Miller Center Fellow Nicole Kazee has a joint appointment as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois, Chicago.Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of American politics and policymaking. She received her Ph.D. in Political Science from Yale University. She has also received fellowships from PEO...