Sidney Seminar: The Collapse of the American Constitutional Republic

On Tuesday, 27 January 2026, Professor Michael Stokes Paulsen (The University of St. Thomas) delivered a Sidney Seminar at the GCDC, entitled ‘The Collapse of the American Constitutional Republic: The Crises of the Second Trump Regime’.

In the seminar, Professor Paulsen argued that the US is experiencing an unprecedented constitutional crisis that calls into question its continued survival as a free constitutional republic. To answer how the country arrived at this point, he first provided an overview of the American constitutional framework and highlighted the failure of key checks and balances.

Professor Paulsen then traced developments under the second Trump administration, offering a brief survey of executive actions that he characterised as unconstitutional. These include, among others, the abuse and misuse of federal criminal law enforcement power, the abuse of powers to enforce immigration law, and the suppression of dissent.

Professor Paulsen concluded by turning to the question of what can be done in response. He contended that overreach by the executive – which may have already occurred – creates opportunities for correction. Overreach, he argued, will lead to a loss of support, both within Congress and across the wider public, opening the possibility of renewed impeachment efforts or electoral defeat.

The presentation was followed by comments and questions from participants at the seminar. Professor Erin Delaney (UCL Laws) chaired the event.

Watch a video recording of the seminar on UCL Laws’ YouTube channel, or view it directly below.