A month before this Independence Day, a group of 100 scholars warned about “the recent deterioration of U.S. democracy.” America has been covering this topic from all angles; here are highlights from our archives.

In 1990, Thomas F. O'Meara, O.P., addressed the need for Catholic university faculties of adequate number and quality as well as the problem of educating Roman Catholics in schools largely separate from the numerous Catholic areas and traditions.

The Rev. Matthew Lamb argues that if the education of theologians is the foundation of Catholic education, hiring trends in Catholic universities suggest an ongoing "Protestantization" of religious education at Catholic colleges and universities.

In this 1993 piece, James Martin reflects on the realities of refugees he met in Thika, Kenya.

From 1996: After two years of work in East Africa, it’s not my own experiences that I remember most vividly—it’s the stories I heard from refugees.

John F. Kennedy wrote for America on the brewing crisis between France and Algeria in 1957. Algeria gained independence from France in July 1962.