On November 11, 2026, the Clements Center for National Security will host “History’s Dead-Hand Grip: Politics, Statecraft, and “Lessons” of the Past,” with Joseph Ledford, Clements Center Director of Research; Daniel Sargent, Clements Center Senior National Security Fellow; and Cole Bunzel, Clements Center Assistant Professor. Join us at 12:15 – 1:30 pm in Sid Richardson Hall, (SRH), Room 3.122, The LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Beliefs about history shape the practice of foreign policy, and policymakers often use history badly. Historian Ernest R. May made that case for the United States in his 1973 book Lessons” of the Past. This new book, History’s Dead-Hand Grip, extends his inquiry to states around the world.
Editors Ledford and Sargent bring together early-career scholars to examine how historical narratives, axioms, and analogies shape politics and statecraft. Across eight chapters covering Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas, the contributors trace how the past informs the way states define their interests, interpret threats, and decide when to act.
Middle powers in South America and Southeast Asia have long relied on national axioms. A Middle Eastern state’s selective historical memory informs its approach to diplomacy and the use of force. An East Asian government has sustained its rule through a curated national narrative, and a Gulf monarchy has revised its founding story as part of a modernization effort. Other chapters assess the lasting influence of the Monroe Doctrine, trace competing modes of historical reasoning in U.S. foreign policy, and ask what earlier technological transitions suggest about the rise of artificial intelligence.
Garage parking is available for a fee at the Manor Garage and the San Jacinto Garage. Parking will not be validated.