Open QuestionsMichael Sandel on Donald Trump’s rise, meritocracy and the US-China rivalry
Acclaimed Harvard professor also examines the crisis in American higher education during a time of rising populism
Michael Sandel is a political philosopher and the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at Harvard University. His course on justice was the first at Harvard to be made freely available online and has been viewed by tens of millions of people. Sandel recently received the 2025 Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture, which some have described as the Nobel Prize for philosophy. In this interview, Sandel discusses the roots of Donald Trump’s rise to power, the crisis in American higher education and meritocracy in China and the US.
How would you explain the rise of US President Donald Trump and the “Make America Great Again” movement? Does the rise of Trump and Maga have any profound impacts on the rest of the world? Do you believe that liberal democracy is in crisis?
The Trump presidency and the Maga movement have transformed American politics. What accounts for the rise of Donald Trump is similar to what accounts for the rise of right-wing populist parties and candidates in many countries.