Chris Shortell
cshortell.bsky.social
Chris Shortell
@cshortell.bsky.social
Portland State University political science professor
I remember that well. Here is a picture of "war-ravaged" Portland from this morning.
September 27, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Sadly, that perception is not limited to just Utah. It is how higher ed is talked about publicly today (often by higher ed leadership) and it is deeply corrosive to what we do.
June 25, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Reposted by Chris Shortell
yup, that's exactly where we are

the most informed among us are looking at what's happening and going, this will be an all-consuming nightmare for everyone soon enough, but for normal people we have not yet reached the point of "Rudy Gobert tests positive and the NBA shuts down"
February 2020 Mark 2 is proving to be just as long as the first one.
February 12, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Wealth inequality is a huge piece behind where we are today. Of course, our wealth inequality is also racialized, so you have to account for that. And climate change is introducing a new level of instability that creates opportunities for authoritarians. Simple solutions don't exist, unfortunately.
January 26, 2025 at 9:05 PM
14, technically (as of now).
October 17, 2024 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Chris Shortell
I just looked at the website. It's what happens when you combine people who are good at basic web design, some very smart lawyers, and some extremely committed trolls. It is jaw-dropping. Scroll all the way through. www.apologize.lol
Cards Against Humanity Pays You to Give a Shit
Didn't vote in 2020? Cards Against Humanity will pay you to apologize.
www.apologize.lol
October 10, 2024 at 2:45 PM
And to add a little local color to this point, the number of our students who *needed* the library as their only sanctuary from family and work life to actually do their studies was high. Disabling the fire suppression system, but "keeping the library open to students" was...not realistic.
June 25, 2024 at 6:44 PM
I'm not saying he definitely won't or that the Court definitely wouldn't support it, but I think treating it as a done deal rather than the massive departure from current standards isn't warranted.
June 7, 2024 at 10:24 PM
I agree that Trump does not care about con law scholars, but he had the opportunity to pardon himself before he left office and didn't take it (pardons can happen at any time, even before charges are brought). And Trump's personal record before the Supreme Court is spotty at best.
June 7, 2024 at 10:23 PM
The point about federal vs. state offenses (even in federal court) is an important one, but I would also push back on the notion that the President can pardon themselves. That is, at minimum, a pretty deeply contested reading of the president's pardon power and not one ever endorsed by courts.
June 7, 2024 at 9:02 PM
Matt Streb made a pretty compelling argument along these lines in Rethinking American Electoral Democracy and I've been sold on it since then. When even political scientists are like "I have no idea who these candidates are" that might be a bad sign!
Rethinking American Electoral Democracy
While frustration with various aspects of American democracy abound in the United States, there is little agreement over—or even understanding of—what kinds of changes would make the system more effec...
www.routledge.com
April 28, 2024 at 11:37 PM
I mean, to be fair, he did about as well as the Supreme Court during that period.
April 22, 2024 at 6:44 PM
Focusing on areas outside of Reykjavik and the Golden Circle: kayaking on Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon is outstanding. Stop by Reynisfjara Beach just before Vik. That black sand beach has been in lots of films, including Star Wars.
April 18, 2024 at 4:14 PM
In the article, we coded over 500 open-ended comments from student nominations for teaching awards to trace themes that appeared consistently. Along with the themes, we detail concrete suggestions about how to put them into practice in your own teaching. We hope others find it useful!
April 11, 2024 at 10:54 PM
And yet, guess which sports are increasingly getting cut by universities in order to feed football (and basketball)? The number of rowing, swimming, track, and cross country programs that have been cut over the past few years is pretty astounding.
February 29, 2024 at 6:04 PM
It is a little older, but Harry Hirsch's A Theory of Liberty is an example of a broad constitutional interpretation argument based on liberal originalism.
February 23, 2024 at 8:10 PM
Breathtaking. This reminds me a little of Ted Chiang's science fiction- the science fiction part is secondary and in the background while the exploration of our humanity is foregrounded. It really sticks with you.
December 28, 2023 at 10:22 PM
But what if it is a really special phone, with blinking lights and everything? Surely that would work, right? Roger Waters said Biden could end the war in Ukraine with one phone call to Putin and my eyes have not unrolled from my head yet.
November 7, 2023 at 9:45 PM