Note from the Editor: The Intercollegiate Review will be moving to Substack early this Summer. 

Substack offers a more convenient and accessible experience to you as the reader and will allow us to reach a wider audience.

We are grateful for your support of the Intercollegiate Review and are committed to keeping your subscription completely free as we move to Substack. 

CATEGORY: RELIGION (5 MIN) 

Papal Forecast: Predicting Pope Leo’s Tenure

Robert Prevost entered the papacy and took the name Leo XIV last week to widespread acclaim around the world, becoming the first American pope. Pope Leo was a surprise choice, but his early public appearances have received strong support from people of many different backgrounds and positions.  

Given his entry at a time of some political division in the Catholic Church, many are now wondering how Pope Leo will address polarization. For First Things, Robert A. Sirico gives his own prognostications, drawing from Pope Leo’s time as a missionary and a bishop to project how he might handle his term in the Vatican. 

Sirico believes the cardinals selected Pope Leo in part because they saw him as “someone who could bridge gaps and encourage authentic conversation.” Sirico points to Pope Leo’s American origin, where he would have seen the complex relationship between church and state, and his time in Peru, where he would have experienced the same tension within a developing nation. 

Sirico points to then-Bishop Prevost’s Peruvian work, where he encouraged “development from below” and grassroots people-driven efforts to serve local communities. Sirico hopes that Pope Leo can lead with “a vision for an economy of freedom with virtue;” supporting free but ordered commerce. Sirico also appreciates Pope Leo’s “friendly, fatherly demeanor” as a bridge-builder on its own. 

Read more of Sirico’s article here. ​

CATEGORY: PHILOSOPHY (32 MIN) 

Joshua Mitchell on Leftist Control of Political Theory

Progressive ideas have long permeated most branches of education, and in recent years it has become increasingly difficult to find academic fields not dominated by the left. Professors at top universities are largely assumed to be Democrats, and some have assisted or even led radical students in protests against traditional American values or against religious groups. 

In Cluny Journal, Joshua Mitchell takes a deep dive into the increasing progressive influence on political theory and gives a thorough account of why their takeover would be so dangerous for American society. Mitchell argues that many academics in political theory now feel obliged to prove their worth to political scientists by supporting empirical studies and focusing on hyper-partisan issues, which corrupts the discipline. 

As more left-wing thinkers enter political theory, Mitchell also points out that they often focus on things that are “transformative.” If you’re not creating change, you’re not doing anything worthwhile. Mitchell blasts this way of thinking, tracing the postmodern dominance of identity politics to Nietzsche and calling its result “never-ending whack-a-mole research” that undermines the good of America. 

How do we fix the problem? Mitchell does not believe counter-activism is the answer. Instead, he hearkens back to Plato’s allegory of the cave from the Republic, contending that a “red pill, blue pill distinction” is necessary to bring clarity to our current moment. Mitchell urges theorists to “uncover a hidden world which, once seen, cannot be easily unseen.” 

Learn more about this world in Mitchell’s article here. ​​​​​

Weekly Poll

Do you think most colleges let students hear many different political ideas in their classes on the social sciences?

[A]  Yes – classrooms feel balanced
[B] No – they lean mostly left
[C] Unsure
 
RESULTS: 5/8/2025

Do you agree with the way President Trump has handled his first 100 days in office?

[A] Strongly agree - 26.2%
[B] Agree - 26.2%
[C] Unsure - 4.8%
[D] Disagree - 19%
[E] Strongly disagree - 23.8%