Ideological Blueprints: On the Architecture of Society and Belief

Vaishnavi Sankar

Uncover how the founding myth of Rome was systematically altered by influential authors like Cicero, Livy, and Ovid to serve their own political agendas. This essay traces the changes made to the Romulus story over time, demonstrating how mythology can be used not just to explain the past, but as a powerful and flexible tool to instruct citizens, legitimize campaigns, and shape a civilization’s destiny.

Connor Huard

Explore the often-overlooked political influence of a secret Roman mystery cult. This paper analyzes the surprising links between the cult of Mithras and the Roman government, showing how its initiates in the military and imperial elite wielded significant control. It challenges conventional views of Roman history by revealing how an alternative religion, outside of the traditional pagan or emerging Christian structures, deeply impacted statecraft.

Amy Ma

Was Australia’s defining democratic moment a heroic revolution or an overdramatized riot? This essay deconstructs the monumental legend of the Eureka Stockade. It analyzes the motivations of the 1854 miners’ rebellion, arguing that they were driven more by short-term economics than grand ideology. The paper reveals how this brief confrontation was later inflated by political movements to become a foundational myth of Australian identity, offering a powerful look at how sympathetic national legends are made.

Athena Kuhelj Bugaric

Re-examine the “failed” court-packing plan not as a political loss, but as a long-lasting constitutional victory. This essay argues that FDR’s battle with the conservative Supreme Court created a new, democratically more inclusive form of “popular constitutionalism.” It established an emphasis on economic equality and strong social rights that redefined the American constitutional regime for nearly half a century.

Gavia Grewal

Investigate the complex and powerful connection between evangelical Christianity and modern US immigration policy. This study moves beyond simple economic or security explanations to reveal the strategic alignment between the Republican Party and its evangelical constituency. It argues that tapping into this community’s values has served as a crucial political asset, profoundly shaping immigration policy to reflect specific religious convictions and serve partisan goals.

Taeyoon Song

Challenge the dominant narrative that Friedrich Engels was merely Marx’s assistant. This biographical examination of Engels’s intellectual career makes a powerful case that he was an equal architect of Marxism. It highlights his pioneering contributions to theories of class, scientific socialism, and the anthropological applications of the ideology, re-establishing his position as a primary and indispensable founder of one of the world’s most influential philosophies.