From the January issue: Conservatives do not typically look at Woodrow Wilson’s administration, complete with its expansion of executive power, as a blueprint. But editor R. R. Reno writes that Wilson’s methods are similar to Trump’s: “We have had statesmen who addressed liberalism’s failures so that the American ideals of liberty could be renewed and reshaped for new circumstances.”

For further reading: In “Wilsonian Dreams, Bosnian Reality” (1995), Andrew Bacevich wrote, “As a Americans, we are all Wilsonians . . . in matters of foreign policy, although we are not uniformly enamored with the more extreme expressions of missionary diplomacy, virtually every American accepts the proposition that American political ideals are universal in application.” This presumption had mixed results in the war zones of the late twentieth century.

Though Peter Leithart’s beloved Alabama football team had a winning year, its days of dominance are over. He writes, “Used to be, when Bama took the field, I thought: We can beat anyone. Now I’m on edge every week. On any given Saturday, we could lose to anybody.” But ultimately, the ebb and flow of victories is a good thing, as it sharpens both his broad love of the game and his particular love for Alabama football.

For further reading: Matthew Walther reflected on his complicated decision to cheer for Notre Dame in the national championship last year in “To Hell With Notre Dame?”

Upcoming Events

• February 1, 2026: Second Annual Neuhaus Lecture at the New College of Florida: “Recovering the University’s Soul” ft. Bishop Robert Barron | Sarasota, FL. Register here.

• March 5, 2026: Annual D.C. Lecture: “Our Crisis is Metaphysical” ft. Mary Harrington | Washington, D.C. Details coming soon.

Until next time,

VIRGINIA AABRAM