Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Rasel (R-Westmoreland) has announced plans to introduce the “Unraveling Socialism Act,” a bill aimed at requiring public universities in Pennsylvania that receive state funding to include instruction on the negative aspects of communist and socialist ideologies.
According to Rasel, the legislation is a response to what he describes as an increasing presence of radical political theories on college campuses. “All too often, we hear stories of college professors glorifying radical political theories and demonizing the American way of life. Right now, instructors are preaching a disdain for traditional American values to students whose parents have worked tirelessly to pay their children’s tuitions,” Rasel said. “If professors and the administrators who hire them can spoon-feed Soviet-style propaganda to our students, my bill offers a counterpoint that guarantees exposure to the documented failures of these harmful ideologies.”
The proposed act would take effect during the 2027-28 academic year. It would require all students attending any public institution of higher learning that accepts state funds from Harrisburg to complete a one-credit course focused on how communism and socialism challenge American principles. The curriculum would highlight historical examples where communist leaders used force against personal freedoms and caused economic hardship, with specific reference to countries such as China, North Korea, Cuba, the former Soviet Union, and Venezuela.
Rasel also shared his personal motivation for pursuing this legislation: “One of my earliest memories is sitting with my dad watching the fall of the Berlin wall, ending the Cold War and seeing what we thought was the end of communism,” said Rasel. “Roughly 35 years later we see Khrushchev’s dreams coming to fruition in New York, San Francisco and other American cities. It’s time we reclaim our education system and return to the original mission as a marketplace of ideas and personal growth.”
The proposal has been circulated among House members for co-sponsorship and will be formally introduced at a future date.
