Arlington, Va.—The Close Up Foundation is proud to announce that it is the recipient of an Edward E. Ford Foundation Educational Leadership Grant of $100,000 to help develop and pilot the Close Up Civil Discourse Credential. The grant will be matched on a 1:1 basis by Close Up through funds raised by charitable giving or earned revenue.
Book banning—along with other ways of restricting public access to written expression—has been a common and controversial issue throughout the history of the United States. For example, Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill A Mockingbird,” has been repeatedly banned in schools and public libraries across the country since it was published in 1960. Challenges to the book frequently cite racist or sexual subject matter as harmful to readers, especially children.1 However, the ways books are challenged and banned has started to change rapidly, becoming a national controversial issue in the last few years.
Until recently, challenges to books in schools and libraries were almost always from community members. They might object to a popular series, a specific author, or school or library lessons that include controversial titles. However, many of the bans in the last three years are linked to outside political organizations. At the same time, the number of books banned from public access has grown substantially. PEN America, a nonprofit that works to protect and expand access to written expression, reported a 33 percent increase in books banned in the 2022-2023 school year compared to the year prior.2 And last year, the American Library Association (ALA) found that nearly 2,500 books were challenged in libraries across the United States.3
Although such a large increase in book bans has concerned opponents of the restrictions, the content of the books being banned has become the bigger controversy. Many new bans promoted by political organizations target books containing a specific topic. In 2023, the ALA reported that almost 50 percent of titles challenged that year either included topics about people of color and/or LGBTQ+ individuals or were authored by individuals with those identities.4 Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) has been a particularly vocal critic of these types of bans. In December 2023, she introduced the Books Save Lives Act. Her bill sought to “push back on this dangerous trend” and “reaffirm the need for representative literature.”5
Supporters of these expanded book bans seek to restrict access to titles they find offensive, immoral, or age-inappropriate. Many supporters are parents or groups that believe parents have the right to control the content their children consume. One of the leading organizations supporting this position is Moms for Liberty, a social welfare and lobbying nonprofit with hundreds of chapters nationwide. Moms for Liberty and similar groups emphasize that certain topics like sexuality, racism, and violence should be removed from some public spaces so parents can better control when and how their kids learn about those issues. Moms for Liberty also supports candidates running for school board positions that control the books most available to children.6 Additionally, many parental rights groups create resources that are shared online to other supporters. For example, volunteers maintain the website Book Look, which features reviews of controversial books. Each review rates a book from zero to five based on its content, includes objectionable quotes from the text, and features a “profanity count” totaling the number of offensive words.7 In a review of “The Hate U Give,” for example, there is a warning of “excessive profanity, racism and racist commentary, and inexplicit sexual activities.”8
Those who oppose recent book bans argue that children benefit from exposure to writings that include diversity in characters, stories, cultures, and viewpoints. Some supporters of the Books Save Lives Act note how books have transformed their own lives. Author Maia Kobabe and co-founder of the Florida Freedom to Read Project Stephana Ferrell emphasized the importance of American children seeing themselves represented in literature. And during her floor speech announcing the bill, Rep. Pressley revealed that, after being sexually abused as a child, reading “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou helped her “move forward.”9 She said the representation of sexual abuse in the book made her feel less alone. Yet this novel has been challenged, banned, and restricted multiple times; in April 2025, it was banned from the library of the United States Naval Academy.10
Generally, both sides of the debate agree that literature is a form of media that can be very transformational and that children and teens can be impressionable. It is important to examine what content is accessible to our children; this fact is not disputed by supporters or opponents of book bans. Instead, those divided on this issue are trying to balance the security that young people need as they learn about difficult or more mature parts of life and the freedom to access ideas without government interference.
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Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today!
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In May 2024, Lai Ching-te was sworn in as the new president of Taiwan. Central to his campaign was rejecting any political claims to the island by mainland China (officially the People’s Republic of China or PRC) and establishing a fully independent Taiwan.1 This position is in clear opposition to the PRC’s “One China” principle, which views Taiwan as a breakaway Chinese province to be brought back under control. In response, Chinese authorities declared Taiwan’s new president responsible for increasing tensions between the two governments, which have been engaged in a power struggle for nearly 100 years.2 As tensions continue to rise, what actions, if any, should the United States take to protect Taiwan from Chinese control?
U.S.-Taiwan Relations
Currently, the United States maintains political connections with both China and Taiwan and has worked to maintain peace in the area while also providing support for the democratic government of Taiwan (officially the Republic of China or ROC). This position has historically required careful diplomacy because of the adversarial relationship between the PRC and ROC. The ROC once controlled all of China, but in 1949, ROC officials retreated to Taiwan after the PRC’s communist takeover of mainland China.3 The United States recognized the ROC as the Chinese government until 1978. That year, President Jimmy Carter identified the PRC as the lawful government of China and established formal diplomatic ties. The United States no longer acknowledged the ROC’s claim over China and adopted a “One China” policy where Taiwan is not considered an independent state. However, in 1979, Congress passed the Taiwan Relations Act, promising support, including military action, to help the island maintain self-governance.4
In the last decade, the tensions between the PRC and ROC have escalated with calls for Taiwanese independence and military drills in China. At the same time, the United States has strengthened relations with Taiwan despite hostile responses from China.5 In 2016, President-Elect Donald Trump took a phone call from Taiwan’s president, Tsai Ing-wen, who congratulated him on his election win; it was the first time a president or president-elect had spoken directly with a Taiwanese leader since 1979.6 Since then, both the Trump administration and former President Joe Biden’s administration have shifted direction from the decades of prior U.S.-Taiwan policy.7 Both presidents significantly increased military support for Taiwan, angering China and destabilizing the peace between China and Taiwan that previous U.S. officials worked hard to maintain.8
During the first Trump administration, two military sales worth over $1.7 billion provided Taiwan with advanced missiles, torpedoes, and parts for its aircraft and subsystems.9 The United States also increased naval activities and dispatched high-ranking officials to Taiwan in response to China’s increased military presence in the Taiwan Strait.10 Under the Biden administration in 2024, Congress passed an $8.12 billion aid package to Taiwan to counter Chinese military action.11 A second package in September 2024 provided additional financial support from the Department of Defense to improve Taiwanese military education and training.12
What Do Americans Think?
Those who support U.S. aid to Taiwan see protecting its democracy as a critical move for Taiwan’s safety and U.S. security in the region. Overall, Americans hold a positive view of Taiwan across party lines. A 2024 poll conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs found that 62 percent of Americans see ties with Taiwan as strengthening national security and 59 percent support providing aid if China invades the island.13 However, a majority of Americans are opposed to sending U.S. troops to defend Taiwan in the event of an invasion.14 Supporters also highlight that Chinese control of Taiwan would threaten our economic stability. Taiwan manufactures 44 percent of all advanced semiconductors used in American electronics; the United States makes none.15 China could limit sales to the United States and prices would skyrocket.
Opponents, meanwhile, want to adhere to the “One China” policy and refrain from U.S. involvement between China and Taiwan, believing the status quo should be maintained to prevent Chinese retaliation. China has consistently criticized U.S. involvement and warned of consequences if support continues. In response to the 2024 military packages for Taiwan, Mao Ning, a representative of the PRC, stressed that the U.S. decision to help arm Taiwan will only push the country toward the danger of military conflict and that China stands strong against Taiwan independence. Officially, China “strongly condemns” the sale and says it “will take resolute countermeasures and take all measures necessary to firmly defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity.”16
What Will Happen Next?
The debate about the U.S. role in the conflict between Taiwan and China is one that has persisted through multiple presidential administrations. The United States simultaneously adheres to the “One China” policy and provides military aid to Taiwanese defense against PRC hostility through the Taiwan Relations Act. Overall, Americans support continued aid to Taiwan. However, tensions between the United States and China may shift as President Trump responds to the conflict. Already this year, President Trump has imposed tariffs on both countries and pressured Taiwan to increase its spending on American-made products.17 He has also pushed Taiwan to increase its own military budget.18 Though the United States has been one of Taiwan’s strongest supporters, there is uncertainty about whether President Trump would have the United States come to Taiwan’s aid if China invades.19
Discussion Questions
Related Posts
As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below.
Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today!
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