Melissa Schwartzberg
@maschwar.bsky.social
Silver Professor of Politics, NYU. Specialist in democratic theory. Supermajority rule skeptic before it was cool. Co-author of Democratic Deals: A Defense of Political Bargaining (Harvard UP, 2024).
Pleased to see the enduring influence of my late NYU colleague and teacher Russell Hardin - from Ezra Klein's column in today's NYTimes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
September 7, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Pleased to see the enduring influence of my late NYU colleague and teacher Russell Hardin - from Ezra Klein's column in today's NYTimes.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/o...
Delighted to announce that Democratic Deals is the co-recipient of the David Easton Award from APSA’s Foundation of Political Theory section!
June 4, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Delighted to announce that Democratic Deals is the co-recipient of the David Easton Award from APSA’s Foundation of Political Theory section!
Grateful to Brook Manville for a terrific conversation about Democratic Deals:
civicbargain.substack.com/p/can-better...
civicbargain.substack.com/p/can-better...
Can Better Political Bargaining Make Better Democracy?
A new book explains why and how.
civicbargain.substack.com
May 10, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Grateful to Brook Manville for a terrific conversation about Democratic Deals:
civicbargain.substack.com/p/can-better...
civicbargain.substack.com/p/can-better...
Faculty fellow position at NYU in XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement, open to political theorists:
apply.interfolio.com/165002
apply.interfolio.com/165002
Apply - Interfolio
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apply.interfolio.com
March 17, 2025 at 12:50 PM
Faculty fellow position at NYU in XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement, open to political theorists:
apply.interfolio.com/165002
apply.interfolio.com/165002
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
@maschwar.bsky.social has much to say on the crucial democratic role of juries melissaschwartzberg.com
March 5, 2025 at 11:07 PM
@maschwar.bsky.social has much to say on the crucial democratic role of juries melissaschwartzberg.com
Looking for restaurant recommendations in Athens and Istanbul - taking the teenagers, who prefer less elegant (e.g., no tasting menus), but otherwise very flexible.
January 26, 2025 at 11:36 PM
Looking for restaurant recommendations in Athens and Istanbul - taking the teenagers, who prefer less elegant (e.g., no tasting menus), but otherwise very flexible.
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
Call for papers: political theory in/ and/ as political science junior scholars' workshop. Please circulate. #polisky @rgcs-mcgill.bsky.social
www.mcgill.ca/rgcs/ptps/20...
www.mcgill.ca/rgcs/ptps/20...
2025 PTPS Junior Scholars Workshop
We seek paper proposals for the sixth Political Theory In/And/As Political Science (PTPS) Junior Scholars Workshop, which will take place at McGill April 25-26, 2025. An ongoing collaboration among fa...
www.mcgill.ca
January 6, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Call for papers: political theory in/ and/ as political science junior scholars' workshop. Please circulate. #polisky @rgcs-mcgill.bsky.social
www.mcgill.ca/rgcs/ptps/20...
www.mcgill.ca/rgcs/ptps/20...
When you're ready to look this up, Democratic Deals is waiting for you:
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
January 3, 2025 at 7:35 PM
When you're ready to look this up, Democratic Deals is waiting for you:
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067...
I believed we as a culture had transcended the reply-all storm, but a student managed to email the *entire NYU faculty* across schools. Guesses as to how many people have already responded to tell others to stop replying all, while acknowledging the irony of having done so?
December 30, 2024 at 12:40 AM
I believed we as a culture had transcended the reply-all storm, but a student managed to email the *entire NYU faculty* across schools. Guesses as to how many people have already responded to tell others to stop replying all, while acknowledging the irony of having done so?
“And lo, did a cry of anguish rise from a stretch of Broadway between West 107th and 108th.”
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/n...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/n...
A Bagel Shop Closes, and the Upper West Side Is Absolutely Losing It
The neighborhood reaction to the sudden, mysterious closure of a Manhattan bagel shop was intense: “No no no no no no no no no no no!!”
www.nytimes.com
December 13, 2024 at 12:50 PM
“And lo, did a cry of anguish rise from a stretch of Broadway between West 107th and 108th.”
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/n...
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/n...
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
I think there is a good argument that Juror #59 is the greatest juror the justice system has ever produced
“And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan”
what a line to go out on, what a legend
“And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan”
what a line to go out on, what a legend
For some random reason I can't put my finger on, I've been thinking a lot lately about the jurors in the Martin Shkreli trial harpers.org/archive/2017...
December 8, 2024 at 7:07 PM
I think there is a good argument that Juror #59 is the greatest juror the justice system has ever produced
“And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan”
what a line to go out on, what a legend
“And he disrespected the Wu-Tang Clan”
what a line to go out on, what a legend
Watching the National Dog Show - next year's ancients class will definitely have a week called: "Is this chihuahua the highest expression of chihuahuaness?"
November 28, 2024 at 5:43 PM
Watching the National Dog Show - next year's ancients class will definitely have a week called: "Is this chihuahua the highest expression of chihuahuaness?"
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
The Tocqueville Review has published on its website an English version of the tribute to Bernard Manin originally published in Le Monde (with Philippe Urfalino and @maschwar.bsky.social).
tocqueville21.com/blog-info/be...
tocqueville21.com/blog-info/be...
Bernard Manin: A Tribute - Tocqueville21
Bernard Manin (1951-2024) Political theory has just lost one of its towering figures: Bernard Manin passed away on Friday November 1, 2024. Director of Studies at the École des Hautes Études en Scienc...
tocqueville21.com
November 27, 2024 at 4:23 PM
The Tocqueville Review has published on its website an English version of the tribute to Bernard Manin originally published in Le Monde (with Philippe Urfalino and @maschwar.bsky.social).
tocqueville21.com/blog-info/be...
tocqueville21.com/blog-info/be...
Sharing a paper that may hold interest/mild amusement value (for an *extremely* specific niche of political theorist), deploying Bentham in "Anarchical Fallacies" mode against epistemic democracy's incursion into constitutionalism: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/II32Y...
Constitutional Fallacies
Defenders of epistemic democracy propose that the “wisdom of the many” will result in superior outcomes: in this context, they hold that widespread participation will yield better constitutional no...
www.tandfonline.com
November 26, 2024 at 4:11 PM
Sharing a paper that may hold interest/mild amusement value (for an *extremely* specific niche of political theorist), deploying Bentham in "Anarchical Fallacies" mode against epistemic democracy's incursion into constitutionalism: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/II32Y...
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
Reposting here: I am sorry to share the news that my beloved friend, teacher, and colleague Bernard Manin has died. He was an exceptional scholar, but even more remarkable was the care with which he treated literally every person he encountered - in the academy, or in a grocery store.
November 4, 2024 at 2:08 AM
Reposting here: I am sorry to share the news that my beloved friend, teacher, and colleague Bernard Manin has died. He was an exceptional scholar, but even more remarkable was the care with which he treated literally every person he encountered - in the academy, or in a grocery store.
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
I reviewed Richard Tuck (and namechecked @maschwar.bsky.social) in the new “Commonweal” issue www.commonwealmagazine.org/counsels-hum...
Counsels of Humility
The dream of rescuing democracy from the people has been dreamed—and smashed.
www.commonwealmagazine.org
October 23, 2024 at 2:50 PM
I reviewed Richard Tuck (and namechecked @maschwar.bsky.social) in the new “Commonweal” issue www.commonwealmagazine.org/counsels-hum...
People, it is extremely important for me to share with you that in Love Is Blind 7, ep. 7, a couple has a deep and thoughtful discussion of the ethics of military service, in which the man invokes James Baldwin on patriotism and dissent. I SWEAR.
October 15, 2024 at 9:57 PM
People, it is extremely important for me to share with you that in Love Is Blind 7, ep. 7, a couple has a deep and thoughtful discussion of the ethics of military service, in which the man invokes James Baldwin on patriotism and dissent. I SWEAR.
12-year-old devastated because we were scammed on StubHub for Gracie Abrams: our tickets were canceled without notice (presumably to be resold at a higher price). Stubhub will not provide alternative tickets because of price disparity, just a refund. No words.
October 4, 2024 at 11:41 PM
12-year-old devastated because we were scammed on StubHub for Gracie Abrams: our tickets were canceled without notice (presumably to be resold at a higher price). Stubhub will not provide alternative tickets because of price disparity, just a refund. No words.
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
<political scientists stroke out>
September 25, 2024 at 1:18 AM
<political scientists stroke out>
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
Melissa Schwartzberg @maschwar.bsky.social joins our podcast to talk about her amazing new book on democratic deals podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Melissa Schwartzberg
Good news, listeners! Our rational and responsive representations in Washington have agreed to keep the federal government running through December 20. (As far
podcasts.apple.com
September 24, 2024 at 2:18 PM
Melissa Schwartzberg @maschwar.bsky.social joins our podcast to talk about her amazing new book on democratic deals podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
congrats to ancient Athens on finally beating ancient Sparta today.yougov.com/entertainmen...
September 18, 2024 at 5:39 PM
congrats to ancient Athens on finally beating ancient Sparta today.yougov.com/entertainmen...
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
After a decade's labor, it is finally book-release day for "The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx." I'm both relieved and excited to see this day arrive. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
The Greatest of All Plagues
How the great political thinkers have persistently warned against the dangers of economic inequality
press.princeton.edu
September 3, 2024 at 12:55 PM
After a decade's labor, it is finally book-release day for "The Greatest of All Plagues: How Economic Inequality Shaped Political Thought from Plato to Marx." I'm both relieved and excited to see this day arrive. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
NYU's Politics Department is seeking outstanding and innovative scholars for two positions at the assistant professor level: International Relations and US Politics. For full descriptions and to apply visit apply.interfolio.com/152515 (IR) and apply.interfolio.com/152513 (US).
Apply - Interfolio
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apply.interfolio.com
August 21, 2024 at 2:08 PM
NYU's Politics Department is seeking outstanding and innovative scholars for two positions at the assistant professor level: International Relations and US Politics. For full descriptions and to apply visit apply.interfolio.com/152515 (IR) and apply.interfolio.com/152513 (US).
Reposted by Melissa Schwartzberg
americanaffairsjournal.org/2024/08/no-e... What went wrong with the Silicon Valley right - my new article for American Affairs.
No Exit Opportunities: Business Models and Political Thought in Silicon Valley - American Affairs Journal
It’s a rare buccaneer who runs a book club. But in October 2012, the chief administrator of the Silk Road drug market, under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” was on the dark web assigning reading...
americanaffairsjournal.org
August 20, 2024 at 12:18 PM
americanaffairsjournal.org/2024/08/no-e... What went wrong with the Silicon Valley right - my new article for American Affairs.