Thomas Zeitzoff
@zeitzoff.bsky.social
Professor @au-spa.bsky.social
Pol Violence | Pol Psychology
New Book: “NO OPTION BUT SABOTAGE”
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/no-option-but-sabotage-9780197796849
1st Book: "Nasty Politics"
https://www.zeitzoff.com/book-project.html
Pol Violence | Pol Psychology
New Book: “NO OPTION BUT SABOTAGE”
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/no-option-but-sabotage-9780197796849
1st Book: "Nasty Politics"
https://www.zeitzoff.com/book-project.html
Pinned
No Option But Sabotage coming 2/16:
Draws on 150+ interviews & historical data and it examines:
– origins of radical environmentalism
– subcultures & mobilization
– repression & tactical choice
– shrinking space for protest
Pre-order (30% off with @academic.oup.com code ASFLYQ6) ⬇️
Draws on 150+ interviews & historical data and it examines:
– origins of radical environmentalism
– subcultures & mobilization
– repression & tactical choice
– shrinking space for protest
Pre-order (30% off with @academic.oup.com code ASFLYQ6) ⬇️
Two books I’ve been reading and highly recommend:
1) “To Catch A Fascist” by @letsgomathias.bsky.social
www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Cat...
2) “Goliath’s Curse” by @lukekemp.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691357...
1) “To Catch A Fascist” by @letsgomathias.bsky.social
www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Cat...
2) “Goliath’s Curse” by @lukekemp.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691357...
February 14, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Two books I’ve been reading and highly recommend:
1) “To Catch A Fascist” by @letsgomathias.bsky.social
www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Cat...
2) “Goliath’s Curse” by @lukekemp.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691357...
1) “To Catch A Fascist” by @letsgomathias.bsky.social
www.simonandschuster.com/books/To-Cat...
2) “Goliath’s Curse” by @lukekemp.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/691357...
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Hey folks, tried putting together a letter in direct response to the NSF unprompted decision. Feel free to offer suggestion or to add your name as a signatory, and thanks to those that did it alredy! Current text follows (errors all mine!)...
Hey folks, tried putting together a letter in direct response to the NSF unprompted decision. Feel free to offer suggestion or to add your name as a signatory, and thanks to those that did it alredy! Current text follows (errors all mine!)...
February 13, 2026 at 7:58 PM
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Hey folks, tried putting together a letter in direct response to the NSF unprompted decision. Feel free to offer suggestion or to add your name as a signatory, and thanks to those that did it alredy! Current text follows (errors all mine!)...
Hey folks, tried putting together a letter in direct response to the NSF unprompted decision. Feel free to offer suggestion or to add your name as a signatory, and thanks to those that did it alredy! Current text follows (errors all mine!)...
DC folks: I will be moderating an event on Misinformation and National Security at @au-spa.bsky.social next Tuesday with @jjgreenjr.bsky.social and Bret Schafer.
RSVP here: american-spa.swoogo.com/misinformation
RSVP here: american-spa.swoogo.com/misinformation
February 13, 2026 at 9:36 PM
DC folks: I will be moderating an event on Misinformation and National Security at @au-spa.bsky.social next Tuesday with @jjgreenjr.bsky.social and Bret Schafer.
RSVP here: american-spa.swoogo.com/misinformation
RSVP here: american-spa.swoogo.com/misinformation
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
The volume & geographic distribution of protest nationwide during year 1 of Trump's second term was extraordinary.
February 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM
The volume & geographic distribution of protest nationwide during year 1 of Trump's second term was extraordinary.
A lot of smart people have been in denial about AI for understandable reasons:
– the people pitching it can be distasteful
– there’s been a ton of snake-oil hype
– it’s easier not to reckon with a major disruption
– the people pitching it can be distasteful
– there’s been a ton of snake-oil hype
– it’s easier not to reckon with a major disruption
February 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
A lot of smart people have been in denial about AI for understandable reasons:
– the people pitching it can be distasteful
– there’s been a ton of snake-oil hype
– it’s easier not to reckon with a major disruption
– the people pitching it can be distasteful
– there’s been a ton of snake-oil hype
– it’s easier not to reckon with a major disruption
A defining feature of Trump II has been its war on environmental policy:
-gutting the EPA
-attacking climate research and cutting its funding
-blocking renewables
-and opening public lands to drilling.
-gutting the EPA
-attacking climate research and cutting its funding
-blocking renewables
-and opening public lands to drilling.
February 11, 2026 at 2:39 PM
A defining feature of Trump II has been its war on environmental policy:
-gutting the EPA
-attacking climate research and cutting its funding
-blocking renewables
-and opening public lands to drilling.
-gutting the EPA
-attacking climate research and cutting its funding
-blocking renewables
-and opening public lands to drilling.
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Really excellent point. A lot of political/influencer grift stems from blocked ambition. They couldn’t make it via the normie route, but feel they deserve more.
So they grift.
So they grift.
”What turns people into radical jihadist clerics? A new book suggests thwarted career ambitions. A subset of Muslim clerics who advocate for jihad started out as mainstream clerics looking for state-sponsored jobs…only to become unemployed, disenchanted, and radicalized” news.mit.edu/2017/why-som...
February 8, 2026 at 3:24 PM
Really excellent point. A lot of political/influencer grift stems from blocked ambition. They couldn’t make it via the normie route, but feel they deserve more.
So they grift.
So they grift.
*No Option But Sabotage* is out in 10 days.
Pre-order links are pinned—thank you for all the support!
Pre-order links are pinned—thank you for all the support!
February 6, 2026 at 2:45 PM
*No Option But Sabotage* is out in 10 days.
Pre-order links are pinned—thank you for all the support!
Pre-order links are pinned—thank you for all the support!
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Did NAFTA unintentionally reshape Mexico’s drug violence? A new JDE paper (Hidalgo, Hornung & Selaya) shows NAFTA may have raised the value of trafficking corridors, reorganizing where drug-related violence occurred.
open.substack.com/pub/garciapo...
open.substack.com/pub/garciapo...
NAFTA and Mexico’s Drug War
The Unintended Consequences of Free Trade for Drug-Related Violence
open.substack.com
February 6, 2026 at 12:06 AM
Did NAFTA unintentionally reshape Mexico’s drug violence? A new JDE paper (Hidalgo, Hornung & Selaya) shows NAFTA may have raised the value of trafficking corridors, reorganizing where drug-related violence occurred.
open.substack.com/pub/garciapo...
open.substack.com/pub/garciapo...
This is a great point.
Trump is a charismatic leader. And one of the major risks of charismatic leadership is that it’s very difficult to replace.
The next R leader will likely have a hard time replicating his support and winning coalition.
Trump is a charismatic leader. And one of the major risks of charismatic leadership is that it’s very difficult to replace.
The next R leader will likely have a hard time replicating his support and winning coalition.
One thing i don't think academic political science and the commentariat has really grappled with is the degree that Trump himself holds together the current party system. It's not clear to me that any non-Trump Republican holds that coalition together. MM seems like a relic of a bygone era 1/2
Mitch McConnell hospitalized with 'flu-like symptoms'
February 4, 2026 at 1:36 PM
This is a great point.
Trump is a charismatic leader. And one of the major risks of charismatic leadership is that it’s very difficult to replace.
The next R leader will likely have a hard time replicating his support and winning coalition.
Trump is a charismatic leader. And one of the major risks of charismatic leadership is that it’s very difficult to replace.
The next R leader will likely have a hard time replicating his support and winning coalition.
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
The worst form of journalism today is stating a fact about something outlandish or dangerous that Trump said or did in the lede without context /implications to the health of our democracy.
February 3, 2026 at 12:08 AM
The worst form of journalism today is stating a fact about something outlandish or dangerous that Trump said or did in the lede without context /implications to the health of our democracy.
Really enjoyed the conversation last Friday at Politics and Prose with @jjgreenjr.bsky.social —talking repression, protest tactics, and climate activism.
We discussed my new book, No Option But Sabotage, that comes out Feb 16 with @academic.oup.com ⬇️
We discussed my new book, No Option But Sabotage, that comes out Feb 16 with @academic.oup.com ⬇️
February 2, 2026 at 3:04 PM
Really enjoyed the conversation last Friday at Politics and Prose with @jjgreenjr.bsky.social —talking repression, protest tactics, and climate activism.
We discussed my new book, No Option But Sabotage, that comes out Feb 16 with @academic.oup.com ⬇️
We discussed my new book, No Option But Sabotage, that comes out Feb 16 with @academic.oup.com ⬇️
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Quick thought on the John Murdoch-Burns piece in FT: it's an interesting exercise with some strong insights, but the headline result most are pointing to (US Backsliding faster than Hungary/Venezuela/Russia!) is kind of misleading.
www.ft.com/content/b474...
www.ft.com/content/b474...
How steep is Trump’s democratic backsliding?
The erosion of established norms has been dramatic but institutions are holding up
www.ft.com
February 1, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Quick thought on the John Murdoch-Burns piece in FT: it's an interesting exercise with some strong insights, but the headline result most are pointing to (US Backsliding faster than Hungary/Venezuela/Russia!) is kind of misleading.
www.ft.com/content/b474...
www.ft.com/content/b474...
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
"Both elected branches seem to have grown uninterested in making political...arguments to the American people, & rely on both active-duty & retired officers to do it for them. Ms. Schake rightly warns that this practice undermines their long-term interest in political supremacy over the military."
‘The State and the Soldier’ Review: Washington’s Worthy Example
The Founders worried that the U.S. could be undermined by a powerful standing army. Civilians needed to be in control.
www.wsj.com
February 1, 2026 at 7:04 PM
"Both elected branches seem to have grown uninterested in making political...arguments to the American people, & rely on both active-duty & retired officers to do it for them. Ms. Schake rightly warns that this practice undermines their long-term interest in political supremacy over the military."
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
🚨Job alert 🚨
I have an opening for a postdoc in my team at @ipz.bsky.social in the area of digital democracy starting Sep 1, 2026.
If you are working on the impact of the digital transformation on politics, please apply by 🗓️ Mar 1, 2026.
📤 Please share widely!
www.ipz.uzh.ch/de/ueber-uns...
I have an opening for a postdoc in my team at @ipz.bsky.social in the area of digital democracy starting Sep 1, 2026.
If you are working on the impact of the digital transformation on politics, please apply by 🗓️ Mar 1, 2026.
📤 Please share widely!
www.ipz.uzh.ch/de/ueber-uns...
Offene Stellen / Open Positions
www.ipz.uzh.ch
January 31, 2026 at 9:26 PM
🚨Job alert 🚨
I have an opening for a postdoc in my team at @ipz.bsky.social in the area of digital democracy starting Sep 1, 2026.
If you are working on the impact of the digital transformation on politics, please apply by 🗓️ Mar 1, 2026.
📤 Please share widely!
www.ipz.uzh.ch/de/ueber-uns...
I have an opening for a postdoc in my team at @ipz.bsky.social in the area of digital democracy starting Sep 1, 2026.
If you are working on the impact of the digital transformation on politics, please apply by 🗓️ Mar 1, 2026.
📤 Please share widely!
www.ipz.uzh.ch/de/ueber-uns...
This is a really important and novel insight about where we are
👇👇👇
👇👇👇
What I see instead—departing from the traditional authoritarian blueprint—is a strategy of crisis production (manufacture emergencies, force institutional confrontations, etc.) that blurs domestic and foreign policy into one battlefield to justify and normalize the use of coercion as governance.
February 1, 2026 at 3:31 AM
This is a really important and novel insight about where we are
👇👇👇
👇👇👇
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Without knowing the details of how this backsliding index is constructed, I worry it may not be capturing durable authoritarian consolidation. Despite all the chaos, the U.S. has not (yet) experienced media capture or electoral manipulation. At least not on the scale seen in the other cases…
February 1, 2026 at 3:16 AM
Without knowing the details of how this backsliding index is constructed, I worry it may not be capturing durable authoritarian consolidation. Despite all the chaos, the U.S. has not (yet) experienced media capture or electoral manipulation. At least not on the scale seen in the other cases…
Great post and thread by @donmoyn.bsky.social, but I disagree with the core interpretation.
Trump looks less like someone carefully consolidating authoritarian rule, and more like someone gambling for resurrection.
Trump looks less like someone carefully consolidating authoritarian rule, and more like someone gambling for resurrection.
New from me: It is not just that the US is experiencing democratic backsliding. Authoritarianism has emerged more quickly than in other benchmark countries.
This graph from John Burn-Murdoch sums it up. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/autocracy-...
This graph from John Burn-Murdoch sums it up. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/autocracy-...
January 31, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Great post and thread by @donmoyn.bsky.social, but I disagree with the core interpretation.
Trump looks less like someone carefully consolidating authoritarian rule, and more like someone gambling for resurrection.
Trump looks less like someone carefully consolidating authoritarian rule, and more like someone gambling for resurrection.
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
now in print in the new issue of APSR: Campos and Federico (2026), "A New Measure of Affective Polarization" -->
A New Measure of Affective Polarization | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core
A New Measure of Affective Polarization - Volume 120 Issue 1
www.cambridge.org
January 30, 2026 at 5:08 PM
now in print in the new issue of APSR: Campos and Federico (2026), "A New Measure of Affective Polarization" -->
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Vladimir Putin arrests journalists for spreading “fake news” and “insulting the armed forces.”
But Russia doesn’t have a 1st amendment and vociferous defenders of free speech.
But Russia doesn’t have a 1st amendment and vociferous defenders of free speech.
Don was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles.
January 30, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Vladimir Putin arrests journalists for spreading “fake news” and “insulting the armed forces.”
But Russia doesn’t have a 1st amendment and vociferous defenders of free speech.
But Russia doesn’t have a 1st amendment and vociferous defenders of free speech.
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
Be Sure to join us tonight! EXcited to moderate the discussion with Thomas. This is a VERY well done book and has some good insights into what the future holds for this movement.
I’ll be doing a book talk with @jjgreenjr.bsky.social
for my new book:
*No Option But Sabotage*
at Politics and Prose (The Wharf) this Friday, 1/30.
We'll be discussing:
-the climate crisis
-social movement
-protest tactics
-and responses to repression
politics-prose.com/thomas-zeitz...
for my new book:
*No Option But Sabotage*
at Politics and Prose (The Wharf) this Friday, 1/30.
We'll be discussing:
-the climate crisis
-social movement
-protest tactics
-and responses to repression
politics-prose.com/thomas-zeitz...
January 30, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Be Sure to join us tonight! EXcited to moderate the discussion with Thomas. This is a VERY well done book and has some good insights into what the future holds for this movement.
Reposted by Thomas Zeitzoff
1/ NEW: @propublica.org has obtained a search warrant that the FBI is executing for records related to the contested 2020 election in Fulton County, Ga., which has not yet been widely shared. It’s an extraordinary document.
Link: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Link: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
1-28-26 Fulton Warrant
www.documentcloud.org
January 28, 2026 at 10:56 PM
1/ NEW: @propublica.org has obtained a search warrant that the FBI is executing for records related to the contested 2020 election in Fulton County, Ga., which has not yet been widely shared. It’s an extraordinary document.
Link: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
Link: www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
There are two ways to frame what happened in Fulton County today.
A) FBI and others indulging Trump in his weird 2020 obsession
B) A threat to future election integrity and democracy itself.
Media coverage has been A.
But scholars & practitioners who study democratic backsliding see B.
A) FBI and others indulging Trump in his weird 2020 obsession
B) A threat to future election integrity and democracy itself.
Media coverage has been A.
But scholars & practitioners who study democratic backsliding see B.
January 28, 2026 at 11:40 PM
There are two ways to frame what happened in Fulton County today.
A) FBI and others indulging Trump in his weird 2020 obsession
B) A threat to future election integrity and democracy itself.
Media coverage has been A.
But scholars & practitioners who study democratic backsliding see B.
A) FBI and others indulging Trump in his weird 2020 obsession
B) A threat to future election integrity and democracy itself.
Media coverage has been A.
But scholars & practitioners who study democratic backsliding see B.