I don't know if the decline is because people think it's a bunk rationalization of power, though I can see how some people might reason that way and lose intere

I don't know if the decline is because people think it's a bunk rationalization of power, though I can see how some people might reason that way and lose interest. Frankly, I'm not convinced by that. I don't think most people think of history that way. Most people would probably accept whatever historical claims at face value without any reason for suspicion. You've have to make the case that the people who would have gone into history are now suddenly woke and see history as a collection of suffocating lies. A much simpler explanation is that history doesn't get you a job that pays well, at least not in any obvious way that translates from major to job. And universities have been emphasizing the marketability of majors for a few decades now. So if there's a decline, it must reflect broader trends.