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Democracy Optimist

Jennifer Mercieca

By Joshua Douglas
Published July 31, 2025 at 6:05 AM EDT
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Jennifer Mercieca is a historian of American political rhetoric and a Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University. She writes about American political discourse, especially as it relates to citizenship, democracy, and the presidency, and has published three books: Founding Fictions, The Rhetoric of Heroic Expectations: Establishing the Obama Presidency, and Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump. Her work aims to make our communication with one another more democratic.

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Democracy Optimist
Joshua Douglas
Joshua A. Douglas is a law professor at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. He is the author of the forthcoming book "The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights" and "Vote for US: How to Take Back Our Elections and Change the Future of Voting."Find him at www.joshuaadouglas.com
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