Prof. Mary Beth Norton, history, was recently selected by the Archivist of the United States to be part of a committee mandated by Congress that will collaborate to complete the Founding Fathers publication project.

Historical precedent has been getting a lot of play in the news lately. Whether they’re discussing financial collapse or imperialist expansion, decaying morals or civil rights, pundits love to center on a few, oft-cited examples: the Great Depression, Vietnam, Hitler. By mixing historical anecdote into their analysis, the talking (and twittering) heads try to add a touch of gravity and validity to their arguments.