Archon Fung
LightNews LightNews
politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung
@politicsprof.bsky.social
450 followers 470 following 220 posts

Director @harvardash@bsky.social. Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship, Harvard Kennedy School. I study participatory democracy. All views expressed here are my own.

Videos

Archon Fung is the Winthrop Laflin McCormack Professor of Citizenship and Democracy at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and co-founder of the Transparency Policy Project. Fung served as an assistant professor of public policy at the Kennedy School from July 1999–June 2004, then as an associate professor of public policy at the Kennedy School from July 2004–October 2007, and finally as a professor of public policy from October 2007–March 2009 before being named as the Ford Foundation Chair of Democracy and Citizenship in March 2009. In 2015, he was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board. .. more

Physics 29%
Political science 28%
Posts Replies Media Videos

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 2d
Just finished @bethmacy.bsky.social new Paper Girl. Really powerful book about the politics of our time. I’m going to be recommending this and teaching out of it.

intrepidpapergirl.com/papergirl/
Paper Girl
About the Book From one of our most acclaimed chroniclers of the forces eroding America’s social fabric, her most personal and powerful work: a reckoning with the changes that have rocked her …
intrepidpapergirl.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 6d
I enjoyed this terrific and highly informative discussion on SNAP cut-off with Jennifer Lemmerman, policy director of Project Bread and @stephenricher.bsky.social. Ep 17 of "Terms of Engagement," @harvardash.bsky.social. Click below to watch:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcI8...
How will a lapse in federal food assistance impact millions of Americans?
YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center
www.youtube.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 6d
Are they after Ohtani or Yamamoto?

www.latimes.com/california/s...
After World Series celebration, ICE and Border Patrol gather at Dodger Stadium once again
Videos shared with The Times and on TikTok, show agents in unmarked vehicles, donning green vests and equipped with white zip ties in parking lot 13, next to the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Cente...
www.latimes.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 12d
Democracy depends on having journalists who can call bulls**t on bulls**t.

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/29/m...
The DEA said it arrested 171 ‘high ranking’ Sinaloa Cartel members. A Spotlight investigation found that’s not true. - The Boston Globe
A Globe investigation found that the federal agency misrepresented the stature of its targets, claiming cartel ties at a time when the Trump administration is taking lethal military action against suc...
www.bostonglobe.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 13d
This is not what freedom looks like.
themorrancave.bsky.social Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 13d
"According to his running club, the man, who is a U.S. citizen, was returning from a team run when agents pulled him out of his vehicle, tackled him to the ground and kneeled on top of him, allegedly breaking six ribs and causing internal bleeding"
US citizen, 67, ‘has six ribs broken’ by Border Patrol agents, his running club says
The incident unfolded Saturday in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where residents say federal agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade
www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Joanna Bryson, Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Sharrow , and 15 more

themorrancave.bsky.social
Chris Morran @themorrancave.bsky.social · 13d
"According to his running club, the man, who is a U.S. citizen, was returning from a team run when agents pulled him out of his vehicle, tackled him to the ground and kneeled on top of him, allegedly breaking six ribs and causing internal bleeding"
US citizen, 67, ‘has six ribs broken’ by Border Patrol agents, his running club says
The incident unfolded Saturday in Chicago’s Old Irving Park neighborhood, where residents say federal agents disrupted a children’s Halloween parade
www.independent.co.uk

Reposted by Archon Fung

schneier.com
Schneier on Security @schneier.com · 17d
Part Four of The Kryptos Sculpture

Two people found the solution. They used the power of research, not cryptanalysis, finding clues amongst the Sanborn papers at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. This comes as an awkward time, as Sanborn is auctioning off the solution. There were legal…
Part Four of The Kryptos Sculpture
Two people found the solution. They used the power of research, not cryptanalysis, finding clues amongst the Sanborn papers at the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. This comes as an awkward time, as Sanborn is auctioning off the solution. There were legal threats -- I don't understand their basis -- and the solvers are not publishing their solution.
www.schneier.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 20d
Permits... We don't need no stinkin' permits...

apnews.com/live/donald-...
Trump directs demolition on part of White House for ballroom despite lacking construction approval
At President Donald Trump’s direction, crews on Monday started tearing down part of the White House’s East Wing to build a new ballroom Trump has championed.
apnews.com

Reposted by Archon Fung, Ryan Enos, Maya Sen , and 1 more

fishkin.bsky.social
Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 20d
I have an opinion piece in @insidehighered.com arguing:

“No university leader or trustee can truthfully say that it fulfills their fiduciary responsibility to sign their school up for this.”

Whereas rejecting the compact—even simply by doing nothing—is an opportunity for all of higher ed.
Rejecting the Compact Is an Opportunity (opinion)
The only action needed now is no action at all, Joseph Fishkin writes.
www.insidehighered.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 20d
Join @stephenricher.bsky.social, @laraputnam.bsky.social and me to talk about last weekend's "No Kings" protests. Reportedly, 5-8 million people showed up in some 2500 locations. Can inflatable frogs help defend democracy? Today (Tuesday) noon ET. Episode 15(!)

www.youtube.com/live/KhgiB3x...
Just How Powerful Are Protests?
YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Archon Fung

smettler.bsky.social
Suzanne Mettler. @smettler.bsky.social · 20d
My conversation with Ezra Klein on Rural Versus Urban, with Trevor Brown. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/21/o...

Reposted by Archon Fung, Claudia Landwehr

chenoweth.bsky.social
Erica Chenoweth @chenoweth.bsky.social · 21d
Happening today - 4pm ET. Register below.

Reposted by Archon Fung

harvardash.bsky.social
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation @harvardash.bsky.social · 24d
“South Korea is not the only country offering lessons to Americans, but it’s one of the most important. … The immediate mobilization to stop the declaration of martial law was absolutely decisive. … That’s how you defend democracy.”

english.hani.co.kr/arti/english...
[Interview] Overcoming extremist politics is the next challenge for Korea’s democracy, says Levitsky
Asia Future Forum: Next Democracy | Keynote speaker Steven Levitsky talks polarization, tolerance, and the future of democracy
english.hani.co.kr

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Elizabeth Saunders, Archon Fung , and 2 more

chenoweth.bsky.social
Erica Chenoweth @chenoweth.bsky.social · 25d
Join @stevelevitsky.bsky.social & me for the first episode of our new series The Breakdown. Register here to join us live on Monday, 10/20 at 4pm ET: ash.harvard.edu/events/the-b...
The Breakdown – Ash Center
Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflec...
ash.harvard.edu

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Steven Heydemann, Archon Fung , and 6 more

jakemgrumbach.bsky.social
Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 25d
AOC has just officially become the top House fundraiser, beating out Hakeem Jeffries. Now lemme take a big sip of coffee as I look at the age distribution of donors to AOC vs Jeffries
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez 80000 60000 40000 20000 0 Bernie Sanders 200000 Number of Donations 150000 100000 50000 Elizabeth Warren 60000 40000 20000 01 25 50 Donor Age 75 Hakeem Jeffries 40000 30000 20000 10000 Nancy Pelosi 100000 Number of Donations 75000 50000 25000 Suzan DelBene 2000 1500 1000 500 25 50 75 Donor Age

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Dani Rodrik, Anna O. Law , and 9 more

chenoweth.bsky.social
Erica Chenoweth @chenoweth.bsky.social · 25d
My team at the Crowd Counting Consortium (@djpressman.bsky.social, Hammam, & Chris Shay) has a new piece, whose title speaks for itself. A 🧵 with some key descriptive takeaways:
The resistance reaches into Trump country
As organizers for No Kings 2 seek historic turnout on Oct. 18, the broader pro-democracy movement has already broken new ground.
wagingnonviolence.org

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · 25d
“Are we cowardly Lions who cower in front of a false prophet or in the face of a blustering, empty wizard in Washington who is trying to destroy our autonomous universities? President Trump has an insatiable appetite for bullying individuals and institutions...“

Reposted by Marc Lynch, Elizabeth Saunders, Archon Fung , and 3 more

ansleyerickson.bsky.social
Ansley Erickson @ansleyerickson.bsky.social · 26d
Former Columbia Provost Jonathan Cole asks the university to bravely admit where it was wrong:

www.columbiaspectator.com/opinion/2025...
Columbia must now show courage and empathy
Dear Columbia leaders,
www.columbiaspectator.com

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · Oct 10
Proud of my alma mater. MIT stands up for its values and rejects Trump admin “compact.” @ryanenos.bsky.social

“fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.“

orgchart.mit.edu/letters/rega...
Screen shot of part of MIT letter to Dept of Education, rejecting the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education.” Highlighted text is: “ The document also includes principles with which we disagree, including those that would restrict freedom of expression and our independence as an institution. And fundamentally, the premise of the document is inconsistent with our core belief that scientific funding should be based on scientific merit alone.”

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · Oct 9
Will governors manage more collective action (to defend against military intervention) than universities and law firms?

Reposted by Archon Fung

iansociologo.bsky.social
Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · Oct 9
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/09/u...

Reposted by Archon Fung, Brendan Nyhan, Efrén O. Pérez , and 11 more

hahrie.bsky.social
Hahrie Han @hahrie.bsky.social · Oct 8
Totally, completely flabbergasted. #MacFellow

hub.jhu.edu/2025/10/08/h...
Johns Hopkins political scientist Hahrie Han receives MacArthur genius grant
Han, who studies political organizing and collective action and who has led the university's SNF Agora Institute since 2019, among 22 individuals to receive coveted MacArthur Foundation recognition
hub.jhu.edu

Reposted by Archon Fung

bostonreview.bsky.social
Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · Oct 8
TOMORROW: Join us in Chicago for the launch of our 50th anniversary issue with Cathy J. Cohen, Adom Getachew, @rickperlstein.bsky.social, and Joshua Cohen.

Register now: www.tickettailor.com/events/hayma...

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · Oct 7
If federal troops in cities continues or expands, do you expect to see:

1. No escalation (some protests, like not, but not much more)
2. Escalation in the form of peaceful protests
3. Violent resistance and low intensity conflict, ala British occupation of Northern Ireland
4. Other (describe)

Reposted by Archon Fung

fishkin.bsky.social
Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · Oct 7
Good conversation this morning with @politicsprof.bsky.social & @stephenricher.bsky.social about the proposed Trump "compact" on their Terms of Engagement podcast. Video at the link below.

My emphasis was: ignore the lofty goals and keep your eye on the enforcement mechanism—who has what power.
The Art of the Higher Education Deal?
YouTube video by Harvard Ash Center
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Archon Fung

jameeljaffer.bsky.social
Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · Oct 7
It was incredibly moving to hear Prof Nickel and other non-citizen professors testify in court about the ways in which the arrests and deportations of students had affected them and their colleagues. So grateful to them for their integrity and courage. www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · Oct 7
Let’s talk about the Trump administration’s “Compact” with higher education: compromise or capitulation? @stephenricher.bsky.social, Joey Fishkin, and me on the next Terms of Engagement: Tues noon ET.

www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
Terms of Engagement - YouTube
Hosted by Archon Fung and Stephen Richer, Terms of Engagement is a live conversation about the latest developments in American politics. Blending perspective...
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Archon Fung

iansociologo.bsky.social
Ian Carrillo @iansociologo.bsky.social · Oct 5
www.usmayors.org/wp-content/u...
The Oklahoma City Declaration The American experiment has endured for nearly 250 years because it is perhaps the most effective alternative to political violence yet created. American democratic processes provide avenues for issues of public concern to be deliberated. Compromise is compelled, resulting in outcomes that incorporate elements of many competing viewpoints. Minority viewpoints are protected to a reasonable degree. Disputes are resolved through a judicial process. The entire system is governed by written laws, which can only be changed through the democratic process. Political violence is the ultimate rejection of the experiment and it is held accountable. The American experiment requires acceptance of: • Pluralism – There will always be others who hold different views than you. • Compromise – Outcomes will reflect many views. Your preferences will never be adopted exactly as you desired. • Persuasion – If you want maximum adoption of your views, you must convince more people of their merit. This occurs via political arguments that change minds, not the threat of violence. The American experiment is an outlier in human history. It has proven so effective, however, that it has unleashed unprecedented freedom, prosperity and innovation upon the entire world. Where there are shortcomings, the experiment contains the means for self-improvement. In spite of the experiment’s success, some Americans have still turned to political violence. They have rejected the realities of pluralism, compromise and persuasion. In the wake of every major instance of political violence, our nation has ultimately recommitted to the experiment. As America’s mayors, we make our recommitment with this declaration. Mayors live the American experiment like no one else. Running a city demands constant action and results. And so, every day, mayors guide our residents through these democratic processes, respecting pluralism, seeking compromise, and…

politicsprof.bsky.social
Archon Fung @politicsprof.bsky.social · Oct 4
1A