Erica Chenoweth
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chenoweth.bsky.social
Erica Chenoweth
@chenoweth.bsky.social

Political scientist & part-time farmer. Books: 'On Revolutions' (2022), 'Civil Resistance' (2021), & 'The Politics of Terror' (2019). Coming soon: 'Bread & Roses' & 'The End of People Power.' https://www.ericachenoweth.com. What a time to be alive. .. more

Erica Chenoweth is an American political scientist and professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. They are known for their research work on nonviolent civil resistance movements. .. more

Political science 53%
Sociology 35%
Pinned
Lately I've seen many references to the 3.5% rule. A few years ago I pulled together this Q&A on potential uses and misuses of this statistic. www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/defaul...
BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Universal swing in action: "What we saw last night was a directional shift toward Democrats in 99.8% of counties that held partisan elections." www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data...
Came here to say this, but Jamelle Bouie has this covered. 👇
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
Great discussion between @staceyabrams.com & @chenoweth.bsky.social on the power of peaceful resistance.
Stacey Abrams on No Kings Day and the Power of Civil Disobedience Against Trump
YouTube video by Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams
youtu.be
Donald Trump's approval rating in our tracker has fallen to -18, the lowest it has ever been (lower than any point in his first term) www.economist.com/interactive/...
Two Illinois National Guard members speak out: "I won't turn against my neighbors."
2 Illinois National Guard members speak out: "I won't turn against my neighbors"
Staff Sgt. Demi Palecek and Capt. Dylan Blaha say they'll defy federal orders regarding Trump's immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.
cbsn.ws
The ex-prosecutor also said this:

“I have a lot of close contacts in law enforcement, and almost to a person, none of them support these actions. As a lawyer, someone who adamantly believes in the rule of law, watching it in open sight in front of my house just be completely eroded…it’s upsetting.”

Reposted by Erica Chenoweth

Is the big tent approach to strengthening US democracy working? Yes! Check out how The Horizons Project approaches the task--in the latest Democracy Without Exception piece ⬇️

democracywithoutexception.substack.com/p/the-big-te...
The Big Tent is Working
Julia Roig on why building relational infrastructure takes time
democracywithoutexception.substack.com
NEW: Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, has issued a new statement declaring that Chicago "communities are shaken by immigration raids and detentions. These actions wound the soul of our city. Let me be clear. The Church stands with migrants."
My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.
The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out.
Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.
data4democracy.substack.com

Very good @shteyngart.bsky.social piece illuminating below.
Happening today - 4pm ET. Register below.

From a 2022 piece by Gledhill, Shay, & @allardduursma.bsky.social: "campaigns that are more creative, humorous, cathartic, and/or fun are also more likely to be large-scale" civil resistance campaigns bc of the "feelings of empowerment, solidarity, catharsis, or glee that accompany these events."
Glee and Grievance: Emotive Events and Campaign Size in Nonviolent Resistance
While scholars of nonviolent resistance recognize that large-scale campaigns are more likely to be successful campaigns, scholars and policymakers currently have little understanding of why some nonvi...
www.belfercenter.org
Incredible. What a true patriot sounds like.
Retired Army Sgt. Brian Wofford spoke to me this morning at the Oklahoma City #NoKings protest. Didn’t expect him to be carrying his DD214 so I asked some warmup questions like when he got out and whether his injury was service-related.

He paused while describing the car bomb in Iraq to say this:

Reposted by Erica Chenoweth

Just saw an extremely dumb post about how this is not what democracy
looks like because only 2% of the population turned out, it's what freedom of assembly looks like, and what the bleep do people even think democracy is? Freedom of assembly being part of democracy is elementary school civics.

Our CCC project collects data on this (part of why it takes us awhile to finish our tally). Stay tuned.
This is what democracy looks like. #NoKings
Mayor Michelle Wu at the protest today: “What scares them about Boston is that we are the America they say is impossible.”
Boston. Wow.
No Kings in Presque Isle, Maine. Over 370 protesters I this morning! Bagpipes Guy plays for the 2nd No Kings…
😍 Boston, you are beautiful. #NoKings
Boston. Wow.
Giant copy of the Constitution being carried down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Facts don’t care about the GOP’s feelings — there’s nothing more American than rejecting a mad king. Please join us tomorrow: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i... #NoKings
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
It's official: Speaker Johnson just cancelled all votes in the House next week.

The next scheduled voting day is 10/27; the last time the House was in session was 9/19.
Ronald Reagan said it. #NoKings tomorrow 10/18
It's official: Speaker Johnson just cancelled all votes in the House next week.

The next scheduled voting day is 10/27; the last time the House was in session was 9/19.
'Political Opposition is not Rebellion'

Today's @chicago.suntimes.com front page story on Thursday's ruling from the federal appeals court in Chicago.

National Guard deployment still blocked in Illinois: chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump...
Today at Detroit Metro Airport.
Be part of this, show up for #NoKings on Saturday — and join up with an organization afterwards — do what you can, it matters.
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