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dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater
@dnsltr.bsky.social
3.7K followers 720 following 88 posts

James Orin Murfin Professor of Political Science and Director of Center for Emerging Democracies @ University of Michigan (@umichDemocracy). SE Asia, authoritarianism, democracy, history. Personal heroes include Thomas Mann, Michael Mann, & Aimee Mann. .. more

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dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Nov 23
Weak autocracies are far more common than strong autocracies.

They are also often far more dangerous and damaging than strong autocracies.

Never take hope from an autocrat’s weakness. Instead, prepare for the worst.

A 🧵 based on 2 of my books: (1/N)

Reposted by Dan Slater

mikealbertus.bsky.social
Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 18d
My interview with @umich.edu professor Dan Slater on the current landscape of democracy and authoritarianism in the US & abroad. "Short-term extremely pessimistic and long-term at least somewhat optimistic"; watch out for weak authoritarians; fire up the non-cooperation & more
@dnsltr.bsky.social
Amid a Global Democratic Recession, There Are Reasons for Hope
My interview with University of Michigan Professor Dan Slater on the current landscape of democracy and authoritarianism
michaelalbertus.substack.com

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Sep 10
Stackable syllabus!
The State in Comparative & World Politics
Autumn 2025, @umichpolisci

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Sep 7
Popular youth-led resistance to collusive elite rule is being rejuvenated through mass protest in Indonesia and being strangled through judicial and military repression in Thailand.

Curious then that the dominant narrative is that Indonesia, and not Thailand, is in “crisis.”

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan , and 15 more

marisakabas.bsky.social
Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · Sep 6
What the actual fuck.

US Tennis Association: “We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.”
U.S. Open Orders Broadcasters to Censor Reactions to Trump
An email obtained by Bounces includes instructions from the U.S. Open on supporting Trump's planned stagecraft during the National Anthem.
www.benrothenberg.com

Reposted by Dan Slater, Adrian Vickers

andreasharsono.bsky.social
Andreas Harsono @andreasharsono.bsky.social · Sep 3
Indonesia’s protests over lawmakers’ perks reveal frustration: Three decades after the fall of the Suharto dictatorship, political and economic power remain in the hands of the elite. The protests may have died down but the fury is unlikely to fade www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...

Reposted by Dan Slater

jwassers.bsky.social
Jeff Wasserstrom @jwassers.bsky.social · Jul 23
Notable new piece by @dnsltr.bsky.social‬ just out in @jodemocracy.bsky.social /provides a nuanced though brief sketch of Thailand's turbulent political history--& has astute comments on implications of the Thai story for thinking about global trends www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclu...
Polishing Off Populism in Authoritarian Thailand | Journal of Democracy
Thailand’s current crisis may finally end the cycle of populism and polarization that has crippled its democratic aspirations. But it is also revealing that there are far worse forces undermining Thai...
www.journalofdemocracy.org

Reposted by Dan Slater

jodemocracy.bsky.social
Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · Jul 23
Thailand's current crisis may finally end the cycle of populism and polarization that has crippled the country's democratic aspirations. But it is also revealing that there are far worse forces undermining Thai democracy.

@dnsltr.bsky.social explains: www.journalofdemocracy.org/online-exclu...
Polishing Off Populism in Authoritarian Thailand | Journal of Democracy
Thailand’s current crisis may finally end the cycle of populism and polarization that has crippled its democratic aspirations. But it is also revealing that there are far worse forces undermining Thai...
www.journalofdemocracy.org

Reposted by Dan Slater

knatter.bsky.social
Katharina Natter @knatter.bsky.social · Jun 23
Honored to have contributed to this unfortunately timely @apsa.bsky.social Democracy and Autocracy newsletter edited by @rebeccawai.bsky.social with a piece on Immigration Policy as a “Biomarker” for Political Regime Transformation.
📌 Read all contributions here: lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/...

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
The connections between IMMIGRATION and AUTHORITARIANBISM are becoming more obvious and tragic by the day. Our latest issue of Democracy & Autocracy @umichDemocracy tackles these connections head-on, from multiple comparative angles: 1/6

ii.umich.edu/emerging-dem...

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
Immigration and authoritarianism are tightly entangled features of our contemporary political condition. We hope this issue gives you new analytical insights to think about in the difficult days before us. 6/6

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
You can find links to their books with @CambridgeUP and @PrincetonUPress here www.cambridge.org/core/books/u... and here press.princeton.edu/books/hardco.... 5/6

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
Wrapping it all up is an amazing author exchange between @vcharnysh and dynamic duo @tariqthachil and @adam_m_auerbach on their recent books, UPROOTED and MIGRANTS AND MACHINE POLITICS. 4/6

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
@rebeccawai_ serves both as our guest editor and as an expert essay contributor. Also see excellent contributions by @leydydiossa, Alexandra Filindra, and @k_natter. 3/6

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Jun 20
This new issue draws on the @umichDemocracy public roundtable “Immigration, Authoritarianism, and Democracy” we held in the immediate aftermath of November’s US election. You can watch that event here myumi.ch/5yEEx. 2/6

Reposted by Dan Slater

jodemocracy.bsky.social
Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · May 5
🔉 NEW! Podcast from @revdem2020.bsky.social featuring @dnsltr.bsky.social on his essay "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave" from our latest issue!

👂 Listen here: revdem.ceu.edu/2025/05/05/a...
Authoritarian Waves Crashing: Dan Slater Reinterprets the Third Wave of Democratization | Review of Democracy
In the new episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Dan Slater discusses the authoritarian origins of the third wave of democratization.
revdem.ceu.edu

Reposted by Dan Slater

jodemocracy.bsky.social
Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · Apr 20
💡🧵 3 takeaways from @dnsltr.bsky.social dramatic rethinking of the Third Wave of democratization...

Read "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave": muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Apr 10
Another year of programming to be proud of @umichDemocracy!

ii.umich.edu/emerging-dem...

Reposted by Dan Slater

jodemocracy.bsky.social
Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · Apr 8
💡🧵 3 takeaways from @dnsltr.bsky.social dramatic rethinking of the Third Wave of democratization...

Read "The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave": muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

Reposted by Dan Slater

brunojnavarro.bsky.social
Bruno J. Navarro @brunojnavarro.bsky.social · Apr 7
“We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion,’” he wrote. “But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”
NY public schools tell Trump administration they won’t comply with DEI order | CNN
New York state officials have told the Trump administration that they will not comply with its demands to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices in public schools, despite the administration’s ...
www.cnn.com

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Apr 5
Mar-CHI-ng! #50501 #HandsOff

Reposted by Dan Slater

simonhix.bsky.social
Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · Apr 4
Bravo South Korea. This is what proper democracy looks like 👏
on.ft.com/3E7kvI7 South Korea’s president removed from office over martial law bid
South Korea’s president removed from office over martial law bid
Yoon Suk Yeol’s shortlived attempt to impose military rule triggered political crisis
on.ft.com

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Apr 2
What if the 3rd Wave of Democratization (1974-1991) didn't begin with democratization at all?

The only global regime wave of the mid-1970s was a wave of communist, peasant-based revolutions.

By reinterpreting our past we might reimagine our present.

muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
Project MUSE - The Authoritarian Origins of the Third Wave
muse.jhu.edu

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Apr 1
My effort in 2022 to apply the “democratic careening” framework to US politics in the Biden years

journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Mar 29
Cancer research hasn’t cured cancer.

Anti-corruption commissions haven’t eliminated corruption.

DEI policies haven’t fixed inequality.

Why? Because they’re tackling some of the thorniest problems humanity faces.

None of these efforts should end.

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Mar 28
The University of Michigan is now occupied territory.

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Mar 19
"BACKLASH" understates how fiercely dominant forces respond to challengers. "SLINGSHOT" better captures how even a slight tug by challengers can lead to an enormous swing against them by the dominant. I raise the idea in this @NationalitiesP symposium:
homsy-staging.cambridgecore.org/core/journal...
Wars Make Laws and Laws Make States | Nationalities Papers | Cambridge Core
Wars Make Laws and Laws Make States - Volume 53 Issue 1
homsy-staging.cambridgecore.org

Reposted by Calvin K. Lai, Dan Slater, Rachel M. Gisselquist , and 4 more

adambonica.bsky.social
Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · Mar 18
1/🧵 Judges across ideological lines are ruling against Trump at strikingly similar rates (84% liberal, 86% centrist, 82% conservative). This isn't partisan opposition to Trump—it's the judiciary functioning as intended by cutting across partisan lines to uphold the Constitution.
Title: Both Liberal and Conservative Judges Rule Against Trump Description: A scatter plot showing the rulings of judges against or in favor of Trump, categorized by ideology using the DIME score. The x-axis represents Judge Ideology (DIME Score), ranging from liberal (-1) to conservative (1), and the y-axis represents the case outcome (against or for Trump). • Blue dots represent liberal judges, purple dots represent moderate judges, and red dots represent conservative judges. • Some judges are labeled, including Rudolph Contreras, Lauren King, John Coughenour, and James Emanuel Boasberg on the liberal to moderate side, and Carl Nichols, Richard J. Leon, and Joseph N. Laplante on the conservative side. • A note mentions that Boasberg, though slightly right-leaning, was initially appointed by George W. Bush. • The visualization suggests that judges from both ideological backgrounds ruled against Trump.

dnsltr.bsky.social
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · Mar 14
College students endanger no one.

Authoritarian states endanger everyone.

Reposted by Dan Slater, Todd Hedrick

kschake.bsky.social
Kori Schake @kschake.bsky.social · Mar 11
The US won the geopolitical lottery having Canada and Mexico as neighbors. This kind of offensive nonsense is doing so much damage, not just to America's standing in the world, but to our security.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Mar 11
Trump: "When you take away that artificial line that looks like it was done by a ruler ... you look at that beautiful formation of Canada and the US, there is no place anywhere in the world that looks like that. And then if you add Greenland, that's pretty good."

Reposted by Dan Slater

atrupar.com
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Mar 11
Trump: "When you take away that artificial line that looks like it was done by a ruler ... you look at that beautiful formation of Canada and the US, there is no place anywhere in the world that looks like that. And then if you add Greenland, that's pretty good."