Ray La Raja
@raylaraja.bsky.social
UMass political scientist, co-director @UMassPoll, elections, pol parties, campaign finance, Mets fan and Iron Chef contender
I teach American government to 200+ college students.
If I don't point out to students through the college newspaper that constitutional principles and the rule of law are being undermined, what use am I? This is not about partisanship. dailycollegian.com/2025/10/lett...
If I don't point out to students through the college newspaper that constitutional principles and the rule of law are being undermined, what use am I? This is not about partisanship. dailycollegian.com/2025/10/lett...
Letter: Defend democracy against unchecked presidential power
‘Every generation is called to renew democracy. Yours will be tested,’ writes Ray La Raja
dailycollegian.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:39 PM
I teach American government to 200+ college students.
If I don't point out to students through the college newspaper that constitutional principles and the rule of law are being undermined, what use am I? This is not about partisanship. dailycollegian.com/2025/10/lett...
If I don't point out to students through the college newspaper that constitutional principles and the rule of law are being undermined, what use am I? This is not about partisanship. dailycollegian.com/2025/10/lett...
My comments w
@agtheodoridis.bsky.social on unique survey of former members of Congress, which indicates how far views of former GOP officeholders differ from Republican electorate on democratic norms @BrookingsGov www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...
@agtheodoridis.bsky.social on unique survey of former members of Congress, which indicates how far views of former GOP officeholders differ from Republican electorate on democratic norms @BrookingsGov www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...
What former lawmakers reveal about the strain on American democracy | Brookings
There is a divergence in how current and former lawmakers talk about the issues facing American democracy.
www.brookings.edu
September 24, 2025 at 8:36 PM
My comments w
@agtheodoridis.bsky.social on unique survey of former members of Congress, which indicates how far views of former GOP officeholders differ from Republican electorate on democratic norms @BrookingsGov www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...
@agtheodoridis.bsky.social on unique survey of former members of Congress, which indicates how far views of former GOP officeholders differ from Republican electorate on democratic norms @BrookingsGov www.brookings.edu/articles/wha...
• Small donors share large‑donor polarization, esp on issues like guns & abortion
• They fuel more extreme, media‑savvy candidates
• Instead of blanket matching, we need localism & pluralism—district-level donor matches, strengthen parties, civic orgs & expand who votes.
• They fuel more extreme, media‑savvy candidates
• Instead of blanket matching, we need localism & pluralism—district-level donor matches, strengthen parties, civic orgs & expand who votes.
With @raylaraja.bsky.social: Are small donors the solution to democracy’s problems? www.brookings.edu/articles/are...
Are small donors the solution to democracy’s problems? | Brookings
Campaign finance regimes that increase the number of small donors may not be a solution to America's democracy woes.
www.brookings.edu
July 9, 2025 at 1:27 PM
• Small donors share large‑donor polarization, esp on issues like guns & abortion
• They fuel more extreme, media‑savvy candidates
• Instead of blanket matching, we need localism & pluralism—district-level donor matches, strengthen parties, civic orgs & expand who votes.
• They fuel more extreme, media‑savvy candidates
• Instead of blanket matching, we need localism & pluralism—district-level donor matches, strengthen parties, civic orgs & expand who votes.
www.aei.org/events/elect... I encourage you to join an upcoming event hosted by AEI (online too), with election experts talking about proposals to reform the electoral process, especially to combat extremism.
www.aei.org
November 26, 2024 at 7:48 PM
www.aei.org/events/elect... I encourage you to join an upcoming event hosted by AEI (online too), with election experts talking about proposals to reform the electoral process, especially to combat extremism.
November 20, 2024 at 5:46 PM
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl... via @lemondefr
« La dénonciation de “l’élection truquée” depuis 2020 s’est avérée un coup de maître, un mythe mobilisateur du trumpisme »
TRIBUNE. Donald Trump exploite sans vergogne les peurs d’une base charriant des fondamentalistes religieux, des racistes et des isolationnistes, rassemblés dans une grande synthèse populiste qui a bal...
www.lemonde.fr
November 2, 2024 at 4:10 PM
www.lemonde.fr/idees/articl... via @lemondefr
Reposted by Ray La Raja
🤔Are Americans’ attitudes toward local issues structured ideologically?
➡️ @bfschaffner.bsky.social @jesserhodesumass.bsky.social & @raylaraja.bsky.social find that only a smaller subset of attitudes about local issues appears distinctively local www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
➡️ @bfschaffner.bsky.social @jesserhodesumass.bsky.social & @raylaraja.bsky.social find that only a smaller subset of attitudes about local issues appears distinctively local www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
November 1, 2024 at 9:03 AM
🤔Are Americans’ attitudes toward local issues structured ideologically?
➡️ @bfschaffner.bsky.social @jesserhodesumass.bsky.social & @raylaraja.bsky.social find that only a smaller subset of attitudes about local issues appears distinctively local www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
➡️ @bfschaffner.bsky.social @jesserhodesumass.bsky.social & @raylaraja.bsky.social find that only a smaller subset of attitudes about local issues appears distinctively local www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
wapo.st/4fgJRAf . My take with @bfschaffner.bsky.social on Musk's idea with lottery.
Opinion | Musk’s hunch is right: Lotteries boost voter turnout
Elon Musk’s $1 million lottery should inspire us to make voting more fun.
wapo.st
October 24, 2024 at 1:08 PM
wapo.st/4fgJRAf . My take with @bfschaffner.bsky.social on Musk's idea with lottery.
My argument for why letting the Massachusetts State Auditor audit the legislature should be resisted with as much passion as taxation without representation www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/16/o... via @BostonGlobe
Why passing Question 1 would hurt democracy - The Boston Globe
By enabling the executive to infringe on the independence of the Legislature, Question 1 undermines the checks and balances system championed by James Madison.
www.bostonglobe.com
October 16, 2024 at 11:44 AM
My argument for why letting the Massachusetts State Auditor audit the legislature should be resisted with as much passion as taxation without representation www.bostonglobe.com/2024/10/16/o... via @BostonGlobe
On of my arguments for strengthening the party system and parties for better politics @ Niskanen hypertext @daviddagan.bsky.social hypertext.niskanencenter.org/p/fence-off-...
Fence off the parties, and start in the states
Discussions about political parties lack talk about boundaries. What is the core of a political party? And why should we care? Julia Azari and others are right about the weakness and hollowness of U.S...
hypertext.niskanencenter.org
September 30, 2024 at 5:10 PM
On of my arguments for strengthening the party system and parties for better politics @ Niskanen hypertext @daviddagan.bsky.social hypertext.niskanencenter.org/p/fence-off-...
@NiskanenCenter @daviddagan.bsky.social
hosts forum among experts on US political parties, their problems and potential. Not your usual mix of mechanistic reform ideas.
hosts forum among experts on US political parties, their problems and potential. Not your usual mix of mechanistic reform ideas.
The Democrats showed us this summer that parties can exist as a force apart from individual candidates. But how do we take that demonstration effect and turn it into a movement? We got a bunch of top political scientists together to discuss! hypertext.niskanencenter.org/p/partisans-...
Partisans without parties
A forum on our partisan paradox - and how to escape it.
hypertext.niskanencenter.org
September 25, 2024 at 5:33 PM
@NiskanenCenter @daviddagan.bsky.social
hosts forum among experts on US political parties, their problems and potential. Not your usual mix of mechanistic reform ideas.
hosts forum among experts on US political parties, their problems and potential. Not your usual mix of mechanistic reform ideas.