Statues and Statutes: Evaluating Iconoclastic Policy Approaches to Addressing Confederate Statues

The motive of this project is to propose an iconoclastic policy that addresses controversial statues in public spaces, specifically in regards to the Confederate statues that once stood on campus grounds at the University of Texas at Austin. The university has already enacted policies of removal, eventually leading to the removal of six statues, four of which were of Confederate figures. The investigation details the historical context of the statues and justifies the use of iconoclasm. The research then explores and evaluates different policy applications of iconoclasm, including the university’s policy of removal and the alternative options commonly considered. The research identifies the critical shortcomings of these policies as well as in the university’s criteria for policymaking. The investigation ultimately advises against the university’s chosen policy of removal and the considered alternatives, and instead recommends enacting a policy of active and sustained iconoclasm.