One Education, Under God: A Study of White Christian Nationalism Its Authoritarian Impact on the United States K-12 Public Education

Author: Katherine Hochberg

Field of Study: Social Sciences

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Matthew Cole

Easel: 15

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: In recent years, White Christian Nationalism (WCN) has been identified by scholars as a driving force behind the spread of authoritarian thought in U.S. institutions– including public education. This study draws on existing scholarship to define WCN, discern authoritarian ideology within WCN, and identify key intersections between WCN and U.S. public education. Legislation including the “Stop WOKE Act” and Florida House Bill 1557 are examined to highlight active WCN authoritarian policies. Findings indicate that WCN undermines U.S. public education by campaigning for the elimination of minorities’ stories in curricula (particularly Black Americans and LGBTQ+) under the guise of maintaining America’s moral integrity. In response, this study proposes the implementation of media literacy and civil dialogue programs in public education. Thus, this study contributes to the current literature by analyzing WCN’s authoritarian threat to U.S. public education and providing potential action to address this issue.