Jaime Lee Kucinskas
@jlkucinskas.bsky.social
Sociologist of morality, social & organizational change and spirituality. Author of The Loyalty Trap (forthcoming) on civil servants' experiences under Trump, The Mindful Elite and Situating Spirituality. Learning about climate action. Mom juggling it all.
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
Delighted to have our #COPOut Podcast featured as part of @wedonthavetime.bsky.social's coverage of #COP30!
For expansive coverage of everything going on at the climate negotiations, check out their hub here: www.wedonthavetime.org/events/cop30
For expansive coverage of everything going on at the climate negotiations, check out their hub here: www.wedonthavetime.org/events/cop30
November 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Delighted to have our #COPOut Podcast featured as part of @wedonthavetime.bsky.social's coverage of #COP30!
For expansive coverage of everything going on at the climate negotiations, check out their hub here: www.wedonthavetime.org/events/cop30
For expansive coverage of everything going on at the climate negotiations, check out their hub here: www.wedonthavetime.org/events/cop30
Beautiful exhibit of indigenous books at Northshire in Manchester Vermont— and they have a copy of The Loyalty Trap!
November 8, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Beautiful exhibit of indigenous books at Northshire in Manchester Vermont— and they have a copy of The Loyalty Trap!
How to save ourselves from the climate crisis from @fisherdanar.bsky.social at Hamilton College
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 PM
How to save ourselves from the climate crisis from @fisherdanar.bsky.social at Hamilton College
In light of Veteran’s Day coming soon, posting this important distinction. Mom struggles…
November 3, 2025 at 2:56 PM
In light of Veteran’s Day coming soon, posting this important distinction. Mom struggles…
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
On Wednesday, I'll be talking about my recent book, Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action at Hamilton College. The event is open to the public if you're nearby! Many thanks to @jlkucinskas.bsky.social for the invitation
November 2, 2025 at 1:15 PM
On Wednesday, I'll be talking about my recent book, Saving Ourselves: from Climate Shocks to Climate Action at Hamilton College. The event is open to the public if you're nearby! Many thanks to @jlkucinskas.bsky.social for the invitation
Well I couldn’t make it to @sssreligion.bsky.social this year, but Hamilton College Relig Studies did a pretty awesome analysis of religious themes in #StarWars for parents’ weekend! #Buddhism
October 31, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Well I couldn’t make it to @sssreligion.bsky.social this year, but Hamilton College Relig Studies did a pretty awesome analysis of religious themes in #StarWars for parents’ weekend! #Buddhism
Excerpt: "Reading The Loyalty Trap evokes that set piece of war movies in which a strained and sweating submarine crew huddles silently, listening to the creaks and bangs that signal either an attack from without or failures of the vessel itself. During the previous administration, 1/3
First review of The Loyalty Trap is out at Social Forces. I'm so honored Lis Clemens was the one to review the book. She also gave us wise editorial advice on our first article from the project while she was editor at AJS. academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Review of “The Loyalty Trap: Conflicting Loyalties of Civil Servants Under Increasing Autocracy”
A professional civil service has long been understood as crucial for desirable social change: economic development, democratization, and rule of law. Comme
academic.oup.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Excerpt: "Reading The Loyalty Trap evokes that set piece of war movies in which a strained and sweating submarine crew huddles silently, listening to the creaks and bangs that signal either an attack from without or failures of the vessel itself. During the previous administration, 1/3
Excited @fisherdanar.bsky.social is coming to Hamilton College next week to give a talk on Saving Ourselves. It’s open to the public if you’re in upstate NY!
October 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Excited @fisherdanar.bsky.social is coming to Hamilton College next week to give a talk on Saving Ourselves. It’s open to the public if you’re in upstate NY!
First review of The Loyalty Trap is out at Social Forces. I'm so honored Lis Clemens was the one to review the book. She also gave us wise editorial advice on our first article from the project while she was editor at AJS. academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Review of “The Loyalty Trap: Conflicting Loyalties of Civil Servants Under Increasing Autocracy”
A professional civil service has long been understood as crucial for desirable social change: economic development, democratization, and rule of law. Comme
academic.oup.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:14 PM
First review of The Loyalty Trap is out at Social Forces. I'm so honored Lis Clemens was the one to review the book. She also gave us wise editorial advice on our first article from the project while she was editor at AJS. academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a...
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
As a diplomat, I served in several countries where most government jobs were filled by patronage appointments. It’s a guarantee for ineffectiveness and corruption.
On the question of politicization of public services, we don't have much data AFAIK. However, data collected in 2024 and 2025 show striking shifts.
One-third of Republicans agreed the President should be able to choose who works in any any public job in 2024, now its two-thirds.
One-third of Republicans agreed the President should be able to choose who works in any any public job in 2024, now its two-thirds.
October 22, 2025 at 3:56 PM
As a diplomat, I served in several countries where most government jobs were filled by patronage appointments. It’s a guarantee for ineffectiveness and corruption.
Thrilled a symposium on how The Loyalty Trap applies to Israel is rolling out. And special thanks to Nadiv Mordechay for organizing this!
israeliconstitutionalism.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/%...
On my way to Emory Sociology to talk about the book today!
israeliconstitutionalism.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/%...
On my way to Emory Sociology to talk about the book today!
סימפוזיון בנושא נאמנויות סותרות של משרתי ציבור בתנאי אוטוקרטיזציה – חלק ב׳ | Comments on “The Loyalty Trap: Conflicting Loyalties of Civil Servants Under Increasing Autocracy” by Jaime Lee Kucinskas w...
This timely book offers a comprehensive analysis of the ‘loyalty trap,’ which describes the conflicting loyalties that civil servants experienced during Trump’s first presidency. The concept highli…
israeliconstitutionalism.wordpress.com
October 20, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Thrilled a symposium on how The Loyalty Trap applies to Israel is rolling out. And special thanks to Nadiv Mordechay for organizing this!
israeliconstitutionalism.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/%...
On my way to Emory Sociology to talk about the book today!
israeliconstitutionalism.wordpress.com/2025/10/19/%...
On my way to Emory Sociology to talk about the book today!
When it’s already hard to get medical care in upstate NY:/
The US faces a projected shortage of 86,000 physicians by 2036.
Foreign-born doctors make up 1 in 5 physicians in the US, and new H-1B visa $100,000 fees could threaten this vital pipeline of medical talent.
buff.ly/vInPudv
Foreign-born doctors make up 1 in 5 physicians in the US, and new H-1B visa $100,000 fees could threaten this vital pipeline of medical talent.
buff.ly/vInPudv
How new foreign worker visa fees might worsen doctor shortages in rural America
Foreign-born doctors account for 1 in 5 physicians in the US – and they often practice in regions where the physician shortage is most severe.
buff.ly
October 18, 2025 at 11:04 PM
When it’s already hard to get medical care in upstate NY:/
Wonderful to see so many people and joyful vibe at No Kings Day Utica @indivisible.org
October 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Wonderful to see so many people and joyful vibe at No Kings Day Utica @indivisible.org
I love fall from my office at Hamilton
October 14, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I love fall from my office at Hamilton
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
UVA's Sociology department is looking to hire a tenured sociologist of religion at the Associate or Full level. Here is the advertisement. @sssreligion.bsky.social @asareligion.bsky.social
Details here: apply.interfolio.com/173879
Details here: apply.interfolio.com/173879
October 13, 2025 at 8:47 PM
UVA's Sociology department is looking to hire a tenured sociologist of religion at the Associate or Full level. Here is the advertisement. @sssreligion.bsky.social @asareligion.bsky.social
Details here: apply.interfolio.com/173879
Details here: apply.interfolio.com/173879
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
ICE agents raid South Shore apartments; Trump says Chicago could become military training ground
ICE agents raided a South Shore apartment building overnight as the city braces for a possible military deployment.
abc7chicago.com
October 2, 2025 at 2:10 AM
“ABC7 spoke to Pertissue Fisher, a woman who lives in the building. She said ICE agents took everyone in the building, including her, and asked questions later….’They was bringing the kids down, too, had them zip tied to each other.’”
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
It can’t happen here, you say. But it is happening.
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
Incredible that they put this in writing
October 2, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Incredible that they put this in writing
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
“It feels like coerced speech where the government is forcing employees to spread its propaganda in communicating with the public,” says Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social), a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan.
SCOOP: Federal workers are being told to blame democrats for the shutdown. At SBA workers got an email suggesting they set out-of-office replies blaming Democrats for the shutdown and at HUD internal systems have a pop-up blaming "the Radical Left."
@wired.com
www.wired.com/story/govern...
@wired.com
www.wired.com/story/govern...
Federal Workers Are Being Told to Blame Democrats for the Shutdown
Workers at one agency were given unhinged, partisan language to use when setting out-of-office replies.
www.wired.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:17 PM
“It feels like coerced speech where the government is forcing employees to spread its propaganda in communicating with the public,” says Don Moynihan (@donmoyn.bsky.social), a professor of public policy at the University of Michigan.
Amid the stress of the shutdown and the Trump administration’s ethical transgressions with trying to influence military leaders to be a politicized for force— how does this affect civ servants and their choices to stay, speak up, or go?
New in The Conversation: @jlkucinskas.bsky.social & Yvonne Zylan on the exodus of civil servants under Trump and the moral dilemmas of staying, speaking up, or leaving. Based on Kucinskas’s book The Loyalty Trap (@columbiaup.bsky.social)
Civil servant exodus: How employees wrestle with whether to stay, speak up or go
Federal workers face unique challenges. But part of their dilemma is familiar to many Americans who have to wrestle with dramatic changes in the workplace.
theconversation.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Amid the stress of the shutdown and the Trump administration’s ethical transgressions with trying to influence military leaders to be a politicized for force— how does this affect civ servants and their choices to stay, speak up, or go?
Thinking of federal civil servants today. . .
September 30, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Thinking of federal civil servants today. . .
Thrilling performances and wise words on creating and writing from Lin-Manuel Miranda tonight at Hamilton College:
-"If you write what you haven't seen yet then you are already ahead."
-"Ask for help from people smarter than you."
-"You are always re-writing. If you don't like it, stop. Quit."
1/3
-"If you write what you haven't seen yet then you are already ahead."
-"Ask for help from people smarter than you."
-"You are always re-writing. If you don't like it, stop. Quit."
1/3
September 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Thrilling performances and wise words on creating and writing from Lin-Manuel Miranda tonight at Hamilton College:
-"If you write what you haven't seen yet then you are already ahead."
-"Ask for help from people smarter than you."
-"You are always re-writing. If you don't like it, stop. Quit."
1/3
-"If you write what you haven't seen yet then you are already ahead."
-"Ask for help from people smarter than you."
-"You are always re-writing. If you don't like it, stop. Quit."
1/3
Reposted by Jaime Lee Kucinskas
New in Social Forces: @profsamperry.bsky.social new article Secularism, Sorting, and Americans’ Political Knowledge shows secular Americans score highest on civics & politics, especially liberals/Democrats. Evangelicals trend opposite with conservatism. Read it here: doi.org/10.1093/sf/s...
Secularism, sorting, and Americans’ political knowledge
Abstract. Political knowledge, including knowledge of basic civics and current political conditions, is associated with a host of pro-democratic outcomes i
doi.org
September 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
New in Social Forces: @profsamperry.bsky.social new article Secularism, Sorting, and Americans’ Political Knowledge shows secular Americans score highest on civics & politics, especially liberals/Democrats. Evangelicals trend opposite with conservatism. Read it here: doi.org/10.1093/sf/s...
This is the feeling of losing a country to autocracy. I’ve felt it since returning from Sweden. Good people saying hateful things about immigrants, turning a blind eye to how they are being disappeared here.1/3 www.nytimes.com/2025/09/21/o...
Opinion | I Look at This Country and I See a Stranger
www.nytimes.com
September 21, 2025 at 10:20 AM
This is the feeling of losing a country to autocracy. I’ve felt it since returning from Sweden. Good people saying hateful things about immigrants, turning a blind eye to how they are being disappeared here.1/3 www.nytimes.com/2025/09/21/o...
As the semester heats up, junior scholars ask, when do you do research? Friday mornings - w/some pressure from beloved colleagues. But in my excitement for this new paper on an unbundling of US religion - leading to mobile, hybrid, convenient and competitive forms of religiosity and spirituality 1/2
OSF
osf.io
September 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
As the semester heats up, junior scholars ask, when do you do research? Friday mornings - w/some pressure from beloved colleagues. But in my excitement for this new paper on an unbundling of US religion - leading to mobile, hybrid, convenient and competitive forms of religiosity and spirituality 1/2