Lee Morgenbesser
@lmorgenbesser.bsky.social
Political Scientist, Griffith University | Fellow, Australian Research Council | Authoritarian politics, democratization, dictators, election observation, Southeast Asian politics.
Trump plastering his orange face all over US currency will be put him in the same company as some of history’s worst dictators, including Mao Zedong, Bashar al-Assad, and Saddam Hussein. It is a sign that political power is personalized.
people.com/donald-trump...
people.com/donald-trump...
November 10, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Trump plastering his orange face all over US currency will be put him in the same company as some of history’s worst dictators, including Mao Zedong, Bashar al-Assad, and Saddam Hussein. It is a sign that political power is personalized.
people.com/donald-trump...
people.com/donald-trump...
Are there any spontaneous mass protests at the White House yet?
October 20, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Are there any spontaneous mass protests at the White House yet?
Nice grandstanding @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social 🙄
My point was that given the range of possible outcomes (continued backsliding, averted breakdown, full breakdown), America went very quickly from the former to the latter. Cases where the autocrat's playbook has been observed have been much slower.
My point was that given the range of possible outcomes (continued backsliding, averted breakdown, full breakdown), America went very quickly from the former to the latter. Cases where the autocrat's playbook has been observed have been much slower.
October 4, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Nice grandstanding @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social 🙄
My point was that given the range of possible outcomes (continued backsliding, averted breakdown, full breakdown), America went very quickly from the former to the latter. Cases where the autocrat's playbook has been observed have been much slower.
My point was that given the range of possible outcomes (continued backsliding, averted breakdown, full breakdown), America went very quickly from the former to the latter. Cases where the autocrat's playbook has been observed have been much slower.
“The bees are in the what now?”
October 1, 2025 at 9:52 PM
“The bees are in the what now?”
Does anyone know if there was a single *spontaneous* mass protest anywhere in the United States on Saturday? This is really important for gauging the level of resistance to democratic backsliding…
September 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Does anyone know if there was a single *spontaneous* mass protest anywhere in the United States on Saturday? This is really important for gauging the level of resistance to democratic backsliding…
Unconsolidated authoritarianism?
Political scientists inventing diminished subtypes on the fly to classify the United States - and, by extension, implying it is exceptional - is not a good use of our expertise, time, or energy.
We have enough diminished subtypes already...
#rantover
Political scientists inventing diminished subtypes on the fly to classify the United States - and, by extension, implying it is exceptional - is not a good use of our expertise, time, or energy.
We have enough diminished subtypes already...
#rantover
September 9, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Unconsolidated authoritarianism?
Political scientists inventing diminished subtypes on the fly to classify the United States - and, by extension, implying it is exceptional - is not a good use of our expertise, time, or energy.
We have enough diminished subtypes already...
#rantover
Political scientists inventing diminished subtypes on the fly to classify the United States - and, by extension, implying it is exceptional - is not a good use of our expertise, time, or energy.
We have enough diminished subtypes already...
#rantover
THANK YOU! I am screaming it, but no one is listening.
August 26, 2025 at 1:29 AM
THANK YOU! I am screaming it, but no one is listening.
There are many ways to interpret this post -
1. Trump is *not* like other playbook autocrats as they don't announce how they will erode democracy.
2. America is skipping competitive authoritarianism and going straight to hegemonic authoritarianism.
3. The Democrats ignorance will doom them.
1. Trump is *not* like other playbook autocrats as they don't announce how they will erode democracy.
2. America is skipping competitive authoritarianism and going straight to hegemonic authoritarianism.
3. The Democrats ignorance will doom them.
August 21, 2025 at 11:21 PM
There are many ways to interpret this post -
1. Trump is *not* like other playbook autocrats as they don't announce how they will erode democracy.
2. America is skipping competitive authoritarianism and going straight to hegemonic authoritarianism.
3. The Democrats ignorance will doom them.
1. Trump is *not* like other playbook autocrats as they don't announce how they will erode democracy.
2. America is skipping competitive authoritarianism and going straight to hegemonic authoritarianism.
3. The Democrats ignorance will doom them.
My expectation of how the meeting at the White House is going to go.
August 18, 2025 at 7:51 AM
My expectation of how the meeting at the White House is going to go.
Same vibes.
Denis Nguesso and Donald Trump would be good friends I reckon.
Denis Nguesso and Donald Trump would be good friends I reckon.
June 15, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Same vibes.
Denis Nguesso and Donald Trump would be good friends I reckon.
Denis Nguesso and Donald Trump would be good friends I reckon.
I published this article in late May (before the arrest of Mayor Baraka in Newark). It evaluates ICE against the five criteria used to classify secret police forces -
theconversation.com/how-ice-is-b...
By itself this latest operation ticks two of the five boxes.
They are a secret police force.
theconversation.com/how-ice-is-b...
By itself this latest operation ticks two of the five boxes.
They are a secret police force.
June 10, 2025 at 2:51 AM
I published this article in late May (before the arrest of Mayor Baraka in Newark). It evaluates ICE against the five criteria used to classify secret police forces -
theconversation.com/how-ice-is-b...
By itself this latest operation ticks two of the five boxes.
They are a secret police force.
theconversation.com/how-ice-is-b...
By itself this latest operation ticks two of the five boxes.
They are a secret police force.
Scarily similar...
June 7, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Scarily similar...
At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
April 29, 2025 at 4:28 AM
At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
I was teaching about repression in dictatorships last week. I suggested to my students that ICE is on track to become a secret police force.
It already meets a majority of the criteria (green) and even the remainder (red) is questionable.
It already meets a majority of the criteria (green) and even the remainder (red) is questionable.
April 14, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I was teaching about repression in dictatorships last week. I suggested to my students that ICE is on track to become a secret police force.
It already meets a majority of the criteria (green) and even the remainder (red) is questionable.
It already meets a majority of the criteria (green) and even the remainder (red) is questionable.
Referendums?!? Get fucked. I have seen student council elections with more integrity and legitimacy than the crap Russia pulled in Ukraine.
The spoon-feeding of Russian propaganda into the mouths of Republicans is one of the great disgraces of America’s undoing.
www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...
The spoon-feeding of Russian propaganda into the mouths of Republicans is one of the great disgraces of America’s undoing.
www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...
March 22, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Referendums?!? Get fucked. I have seen student council elections with more integrity and legitimacy than the crap Russia pulled in Ukraine.
The spoon-feeding of Russian propaganda into the mouths of Republicans is one of the great disgraces of America’s undoing.
www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...
The spoon-feeding of Russian propaganda into the mouths of Republicans is one of the great disgraces of America’s undoing.
www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/202...
Me and Steve Levitsky clearly thinking like the coauthors we should be 🤪 But I beat him to this opinion by 10 days 😎
March 20, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Me and Steve Levitsky clearly thinking like the coauthors we should be 🤪 But I beat him to this opinion by 10 days 😎
If I had the expertise and time, I'd create an app that empowered Americans to boycott every company/person that is aiding the onset of authoritarian rule. I would use donation records and media statements to identify them, list their goods & services, geolocate them, and provide alternative options
February 27, 2025 at 1:07 AM
If I had the expertise and time, I'd create an app that empowered Americans to boycott every company/person that is aiding the onset of authoritarian rule. I would use donation records and media statements to identify them, list their goods & services, geolocate them, and provide alternative options
Stacks supreme court with loyalists ✔️
Mounts insurrection against government ✔️
Claims power over independent agencies ✔️
Empowers allies to capture the state ✔️
Purges bureaucratic officials ✔️
Threatens opposition party ✔️
Declares himself king ✔️
Trump trying to serve a third term is a guarantee 🤴
Mounts insurrection against government ✔️
Claims power over independent agencies ✔️
Empowers allies to capture the state ✔️
Purges bureaucratic officials ✔️
Threatens opposition party ✔️
Declares himself king ✔️
Trump trying to serve a third term is a guarantee 🤴
February 19, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Stacks supreme court with loyalists ✔️
Mounts insurrection against government ✔️
Claims power over independent agencies ✔️
Empowers allies to capture the state ✔️
Purges bureaucratic officials ✔️
Threatens opposition party ✔️
Declares himself king ✔️
Trump trying to serve a third term is a guarantee 🤴
Mounts insurrection against government ✔️
Claims power over independent agencies ✔️
Empowers allies to capture the state ✔️
Purges bureaucratic officials ✔️
Threatens opposition party ✔️
Declares himself king ✔️
Trump trying to serve a third term is a guarantee 🤴
Statement here from Marco Rubio, which effectively says the United States is abandoning its global role as a promoter of democracy and defender of human rights.
Surprised? No.
Hypothesis? Yes. Putin has kompromat on Trump and Musk and has requested this action. Also explains the AfD lovefest.
Surprised? No.
Hypothesis? Yes. Putin has kompromat on Trump and Musk and has requested this action. Also explains the AfD lovefest.
February 4, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Statement here from Marco Rubio, which effectively says the United States is abandoning its global role as a promoter of democracy and defender of human rights.
Surprised? No.
Hypothesis? Yes. Putin has kompromat on Trump and Musk and has requested this action. Also explains the AfD lovefest.
Surprised? No.
Hypothesis? Yes. Putin has kompromat on Trump and Musk and has requested this action. Also explains the AfD lovefest.
Watching the Trump Administration obliterate the NSF and CDC reminded me of Einstein’s very brief chapter on Science and Dictatorship. From 1931…
January 31, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Watching the Trump Administration obliterate the NSF and CDC reminded me of Einstein’s very brief chapter on Science and Dictatorship. From 1931…
When will political scientists abandon this question?
It was formulated in the 1950s-1960s, when the typical form of authoritarian rule was much different (and many regimes barred elections).
Sure, keeping it allows longitudinal analysis, but at what cost?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
It was formulated in the 1950s-1960s, when the typical form of authoritarian rule was much different (and many regimes barred elections).
Sure, keeping it allows longitudinal analysis, but at what cost?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
January 27, 2025 at 11:41 AM
When will political scientists abandon this question?
It was formulated in the 1950s-1960s, when the typical form of authoritarian rule was much different (and many regimes barred elections).
Sure, keeping it allows longitudinal analysis, but at what cost?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
It was formulated in the 1950s-1960s, when the typical form of authoritarian rule was much different (and many regimes barred elections).
Sure, keeping it allows longitudinal analysis, but at what cost?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
How the @abcnewsaustralia.bsky.social is covering Trump.
Because of the time zone difference, you wake up to a doomscroll of all the horrible things he did overnight. Each worse than the last. Good reporting, but a terrible way to start your day if you care about the fate of American democracy ☹️
Because of the time zone difference, you wake up to a doomscroll of all the horrible things he did overnight. Each worse than the last. Good reporting, but a terrible way to start your day if you care about the fate of American democracy ☹️
January 23, 2025 at 12:14 AM
How the @abcnewsaustralia.bsky.social is covering Trump.
Because of the time zone difference, you wake up to a doomscroll of all the horrible things he did overnight. Each worse than the last. Good reporting, but a terrible way to start your day if you care about the fate of American democracy ☹️
Because of the time zone difference, you wake up to a doomscroll of all the horrible things he did overnight. Each worse than the last. Good reporting, but a terrible way to start your day if you care about the fate of American democracy ☹️
Today in Dictators - Bashar al-Assad's wife, Asma al-Assad, has filed for divorce because she does not want to live in Moscow apparently...
I can see the paper now: "The Marital Status of Exiled Dicators: A New Dataset, 1946-2024."
www.jpost.com/middle-east/...
I can see the paper now: "The Marital Status of Exiled Dicators: A New Dataset, 1946-2024."
www.jpost.com/middle-east/...
December 22, 2024 at 11:49 PM
Today in Dictators - Bashar al-Assad's wife, Asma al-Assad, has filed for divorce because she does not want to live in Moscow apparently...
I can see the paper now: "The Marital Status of Exiled Dicators: A New Dataset, 1946-2024."
www.jpost.com/middle-east/...
I can see the paper now: "The Marital Status of Exiled Dicators: A New Dataset, 1946-2024."
www.jpost.com/middle-east/...
The Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Library at Humboldt University is really one of the nicest places I have ever got some work done.
November 21, 2024 at 6:13 PM
The Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm Library at Humboldt University is really one of the nicest places I have ever got some work done.
PUBLISHED! Hey dictatorsky, my chapter on "The Lost Works of Nondemocratic Rule" has been published in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Authoritarian Politics, edited by
@annemwolf.bsky.social 🤓 Abstract and free access below -
academic.oup.com/edited-volum...
@annemwolf.bsky.social 🤓 Abstract and free access below -
academic.oup.com/edited-volum...
July 23, 2024 at 1:08 AM
PUBLISHED! Hey dictatorsky, my chapter on "The Lost Works of Nondemocratic Rule" has been published in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Authoritarian Politics, edited by
@annemwolf.bsky.social 🤓 Abstract and free access below -
academic.oup.com/edited-volum...
@annemwolf.bsky.social 🤓 Abstract and free access below -
academic.oup.com/edited-volum...