The best of intellectual conservative thought.

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​​​Note from the Editor: The Intercollegiate Review will be moving to Substack later this month.

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CATEGORY: CULTURE (15 MIN)

Men, women, and children

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Many so-called “culture war” issues have dominated the airwaves and battle lines between Americans on both sides of the aisle. And sometimes they have even created intra-party conflict. One of the most significant of these issues is transgenderism. The recent oral argument in U.S. v. Skrmetti, a Supreme Court case considering a state law banning gender transition procedures for children, highlighted the intensity of the debate.

For City Journal, Leor Sapir describes the contours of the transgender debate over the past year and argues that public opinion has made itself clear on the issue. Sapir moves through three events in 2024 that changed the discussion around transgenderism.

He begins with the UK’s Cass Review, a long and scholarly discussion of the dangers of “gender-affirming” treatment. The Review concluded that well-researched evidence could not uphold puberty blockers and hormone treatment as safe and effective. Sapir notes that American groups responded with anger; American Psychological Association chapters blocked the Review’s discussion online.

Sapir continues by discussing the information transgender activists revealed as part of a lawsuit against Alabama. Internal documents showed that activists recommended castration for kids who wanted it, ignored conflicts of interest, and suppressed evidence reviews that would have weakened their position. Finally, Sapir says the American Society of Plastic Surgeons questioned the “consensus” for the efficacy of transgender surgeries for minors.

Sapir concludes by urging President Donald Trump’s administration to continue “tackling the roots of the crisis.” Learn more by reading his article here.​

Read Now

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Weekly Poll

Should state governments ban gender transition surgeries for minors?

[A] Yes

[B] No

[C] Unsure

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RESULTS: 2/6/2025

Is government intervention required to combat censorship and cancel culture?

[A] Yes - 41.1%

​​​​​[B] No - 37.5%

[C] Unsure - 21.4%

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CATEGORY: POLITICS (8 MIN)

Speed bumps

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Social media exploded over a recent federal district court decision temporarily preventing the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing certain government documents. Pundits questioned the relationship between the executive and judicial branches, asking whether a judge should be able to stop the President from changing administrative practice.

Andrew C. McCarthy, writing in National Review, does not think judicial decisions will permanently stop President Donald Trump’s efforts to clean up the administrative state. McCarthy sees them instead as “the normal effects of litigation,” which usually slow things down. Temporary restraining orders and preliminary injunctions may put a damper on the speed at which DOGE works.

But McCarthy thinks the Trump administration will win these legal battles and clear the judicial barriers. He believes that the progressive mindset about administrative agencies—that they are a place for nonpartisan “career civil servants” to run the ship—does not align with the Constitution. Instead, McCarthy argues that the Constitution contemplates a system where government officials are “accountable to the people who pay the freight and whose lives are affected.”

McCarthy does not believe that Trump or Elon Musk should be constitutionally untouchable. He affirms the job of the judiciary to step in when executive acts do cross the line. In this situation, though, McCarthy says the chief executive must have the power “to investigate how executive agencies execute their responsibilities.”

Read McCarthy’s article here. ​​​​​​

Read Now

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CATEGORY: VIDEO

Building a Wholesome Family in a Broken World with Eduard Habsburg

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In a world increasingly marked by isolation, instability, and cultural decay, how can families remain strong, joyful, and rooted in tradition? In this episode, we sit down with Edward Habsburg—Catholic thinker, writer, and Hungary’s ambassador to the Holy See—to discuss his new book, Building a Wholesome Family in a Broken World.

Drawing from both personal experience and the time-tested wisdom of the Habsburg dynasty, Edward shares practical insights on fostering deep familial bonds, raising children with purpose, and restoring a culture of faith and virtue within the home. We explore the key pillars of a strong family life, the challenges posed by modernity, and why subsidiarity—the principle of governance closest to the family unit—is more important than ever.

Join us for a conversation that blends history, faith, and humor as we uncover what it truly means to build a resilient, loving, and wholesome family in today's chaotic world.

Watch Now

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Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.

UChicago DEI Program Claims Saying the South Side Can Be “Dangerous” Or Have “Criminals” Is “Racial Dog Whistling”

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via The Chicago Thinker

“On January 16th, 2025, in preparation for an upcoming recruitment weekend where prospective graduate students tour campus and interact with current students, the Graduate Recruitment Initiative Team (GRIT), a student-run graduate organization of the University of Chicago committed to enhancing 'diversity, equity and inclusion' across 18 graduate programs, sent two guides to current graduate students encouraging them to tailor their language when addressing concerns around campus safety and underplay security concerns. In their first guide titled Recruitment FAQs and Guidance, GRIT lists the question 'Is Chicago safe?' as a common and difficult question to answer. Expanding on this, they first describe that safety 'is a common question, both from applicants as well as the families of applicants,' but in the same breath, also declare the question to be 'racially and politically loaded.'”

An Interview with Steve Bannon

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via The Harvard Salient

“SALIENT: You’re a self-described populist. Yet, you just received multiple standing ovations at Harvard–an institution often thought to embody of the elite. What does that tell us about American society?

BANNON: I'm sure most of the people in that audience come from middle-class families with middle-class values. The reason we're in that room is because we had, by and large, great parents and great support networks. That's what we're trying to provide for everybody in the country–that everybody can have that opportunity. And that's kind of what populism is. Populism is the manifestation of the sovereign will of the people. It’s a focus on the common man and woman, to make sure they know that their place is just as powerful and important as anybody in the social or economic hierarchy.”

Wake Forest is “Actively Reviewing” Trump Administration’s DEI Orders

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via The Wake Report

"Wake Forest Administration is 'actively reviewing all Executive Orders and Memos' from the Trump administration, Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion José Villalba writes to The Report. 'A broad range of campus offices and administrators' are involved in this review, he adds. This comes after the Trump Administration’s recent actions to target DEI. A day-one Executive Order called on each federal agency to identify up to nine organizations with DEI programs for potential investigation, including 'higher education institutions with endowments over 1 billion dollars.' Wake, with an endowment of over 1.4 billion, could qualify for investigation under this directive."

Author Matt Continetti Visits UVA, Talks “The Right”

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via The Jefferson Independent

"On Friday afternoon, the Karsh Institute of Democracy welcomed Matthew Continetti, author of The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism, for its first “Touchstones of Democracy” discussion of the semester. The event was co-hosted by The Blue Ridge Center and moderated by its president, Professor Gerard Alexander. To kick off the conversation, Melody Barnes, executive director of the Karsh Institute, welcomed audience members and highlighted the important work done by Alexander, politics professor at UVA, and Continetti, director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, both on and beyond college campuses. For the next hour, Continetti fielded questions from Alexander and audience members. Alexander’s first question was succinct: why was there a need for “The Right”? Continetti explained that much of the history of the American Right has been written from the perspective of the American Left."

CATEGORY: CULTURE (6 MIN)

Southern status

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Since the Civil War, the South has faced an uphill reputational battle. The stain of slavery and the later abuses of Jim Crow laws turned people away from respecting the states below the Mason-Dixon line. Southerners have become the butt of many jokes, especially in progressive circles. Despite its flaws, though, the South played an integral role in our nation’s history—especially the state with the first permanent English settlement in North America: Virginia.

For this week’s article from the Modern Age website, Jerry Salyer reviews a 2024 publication called Virginia First: The 1607 Project. Edited by Brion McClanahan, Virginia First is an essay collection responding in part to the New York Times’s infamous 1619 Project. Salyer discusses some of the pieces in Virginia First while urging Americans to reclaim the legacy of the state from those who seek to destroy it.

As Salyer describes them, some of the essays defend legends like Thomas Jefferson from liberal attacks. They highlight the important contributions of the state, even at its lowest moments, to a restrained interpretation of the Constitution. And they retell some of the most interesting and colorful stories of renowned Virginians throughout American history. Without denigrating other important states, Salyer urges Americans to keep Virginia’s legacy alive.

“Without the Cavaliers, without their character and contributions, the story of the American founding falls apart,” Salyer writes. “Like it or not, the American South really is American.”

Read Salyer’s piece here on the Modern Age website.​​​​

Read Now

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Thought of the Day:



“If you want to have order in the commonwealth, you first have to have order in the individual soul.”

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- Russell Kirk​​​

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