Throughout 2025 and into 2026, Teaching Professor Krister Knapp, Teaching Professor and Minor Adviser in History, contributed several pieces to The Source and Student Life, offering viewpoints on U.S. foreign policy and international conflicts. Knapp explores how the past can help us understand today's political landscape.

The Return of the Monroe Doctrine: Knapp examines the historical roots of American expansionism and the Monroe Doctrine, explaining how its principles have resurfaced in the Trump administration's approach to Latin America, particularly Venezuela. He considers the historical and political motivations behind renewed U.S. intervention in the Western Hemisphere. Read more

Far from Unprecedented: Professor Krister Knapp Discusses Recent U.S. Foreign Policy in Venezuela: Student Life covers Knapp's January 2026 lecture, in which he discussed the U.S. operation in Venezuela and its connections to a much longer history of American foreign policy. Drawing on examples ranging from the Monroe Doctrine to the Roosevelt Corollary, Knapp placed recent developments in the context of America's longstanding expansionist and interventionist policies. Read more

What the Roman Republic Can Teach Us About Trump's War in Iran: Knapp looks to ancient Rome for historical parallels to the war in Iran, comparing Trump's rationale for military action with Brutus's decision to wage war in an effort to save the Roman Republic. He examines the role of military intervention, preemptive action, and the potential consequences of political and military overreach. Read more