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A Threat to Democracy: Florida's Agenda to Dismantle Public Higher Education
Abstract:
The current assault on academic freedom central to the public education agenda of Florida’s governor and legislature, and the accompanying erosion of a more inclusive and democratized landscape of power, provide a disturbing glimpse into the dystopian society we might anticipate under a potential DeSantis presidency. This analysis of two (among many) state laws—H.B. 7: the Individual Freedom Act, also politically branded as the Stop WOKE Act (Florida House 2022); and S.B. 266: Higher Education (Florida Senate 2023b)— explores the laws’ antidemocratic purposes, operationalization, and impact. We offer as context the historical opposition to academia that includes minoritized perspectives. Though H.B. 7 has been effectively challenged in the Eleventh Circuit Court, both laws have created a chilling effect in many institutions.
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