@maxxxdoppler.bsky.social
Reposted
the unitarian notion of accountability is, in general, very strange as it holds that a single election — the president’s reelect — is more democratically accountable than the rolling process of democratic assent produced by legislative elections and congressional oversight.
December 9, 2025 at 1:57 PM
the unitarian notion of accountability is, in general, very strange as it holds that a single election — the president’s reelect — is more democratically accountable than the rolling process of democratic assent produced by legislative elections and congressional oversight.
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(2) seems to be an even more dubious point than (1). first because agencies are shaped by congress as well as executive appointments, and second because the agency rule-making process is more transparent and democratic than top-down decrees from political appointees
The theory of the unitary executive is that (1) the constitution requires it and (2) you get democratic accountability through presidential control through the power to remove agency heads. (1) is dubious (2) seems ridiculous at the present moment.
December 9, 2025 at 1:57 PM
(2) seems to be an even more dubious point than (1). first because agencies are shaped by congress as well as executive appointments, and second because the agency rule-making process is more transparent and democratic than top-down decrees from political appointees
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The theory of the unitary executive is that (1) the constitution requires it and (2) you get democratic accountability through presidential control through the power to remove agency heads. (1) is dubious (2) seems ridiculous at the present moment.
December 9, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The theory of the unitary executive is that (1) the constitution requires it and (2) you get democratic accountability through presidential control through the power to remove agency heads. (1) is dubious (2) seems ridiculous at the present moment.
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We know, based on loads of comparative evidence, that presidential systems are unstable and prone to clientelism, democratic backsliding, and the like. SCOTUS is doing its best to amplify all the worst aspects of presidential systems. They're cutting the wires that hold the system up.
the unitarian notion of accountability is, in general, very strange as it holds that a single election — the president’s reelect — is more democratically accountable than the rolling process of democratic assent produced by legislative elections and congressional oversight.
December 9, 2025 at 2:51 PM
We know, based on loads of comparative evidence, that presidential systems are unstable and prone to clientelism, democratic backsliding, and the like. SCOTUS is doing its best to amplify all the worst aspects of presidential systems. They're cutting the wires that hold the system up.
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I can’t believe how much of the Trump era is about solving problems that *don’t* exist while making all the problems that *do* exist, worse.
There is no one who thinks the biggest problem with air travel right now is not having an area to do pull-ups.
There is no one who thinks the biggest problem with air travel right now is not having an area to do pull-ups.
Duffy on what he's doing to improve the airport experience for travelers: "Maybe I want a workout area where people might get some blood flowing doing some pull ups or step ups in the airport."
December 9, 2025 at 12:10 PM
I can’t believe how much of the Trump era is about solving problems that *don’t* exist while making all the problems that *do* exist, worse.
There is no one who thinks the biggest problem with air travel right now is not having an area to do pull-ups.
There is no one who thinks the biggest problem with air travel right now is not having an area to do pull-ups.
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Nope.
Returning trade taxes to what they were for a century—up until just months ago—might be the *smallest threat in history* to US national security.
Returning trade taxes to what they were for a century—up until just months ago—might be the *smallest threat in history* to US national security.
Trump warnes SCOTUS that a "negative" ruling on tariff authority would mark the “biggest threat in history" to U.S. national security.
www.mediaite.com/media/news/t...
www.mediaite.com/media/news/t...
Trump Rails at ‘Dark and Sinister Forces’ in Overnight Rant as Supreme Court Tariff Ruling Looms
Trump warned SCOTUS that a "negative" ruling on tariff authority would mark the “biggest threat in history" to U.S. national security.
www.mediaite.com
December 9, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Nope.
Returning trade taxes to what they were for a century—up until just months ago—might be the *smallest threat in history* to US national security.
Returning trade taxes to what they were for a century—up until just months ago—might be the *smallest threat in history* to US national security.
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But real wages were actually up here. That was not true in most other countries. It is amazing that so many pundits have not seem to noticed this distinction.
Maybe. I think inflation and post-pandemic crankiness hurt him the same as it did most incumbent governments around the world. Not sure there was much he (or Harris) could do about it.
November 19, 2025 at 12:25 AM
But real wages were actually up here. That was not true in most other countries. It is amazing that so many pundits have not seem to noticed this distinction.
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WSJ: “David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he’d make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump’s ire. Trump has told people close to him that he wants new ownership of CNN as well as changes to CNN programming”
December 9, 2025 at 4:54 AM
WSJ: “David Ellison offered assurances to Trump administration officials that if he bought Warner, he’d make sweeping changes to CNN, a common target of President Trump’s ire. Trump has told people close to him that he wants new ownership of CNN as well as changes to CNN programming”
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Millions are struggling with the cost of food, housing, and other basic necessities. 70% of U.S. adults say the American Dream is dead. How does Trump respond? By saying "affordability" is a "Democrat scam" and a "hoax." Hello?
December 9, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Millions are struggling with the cost of food, housing, and other basic necessities. 70% of U.S. adults say the American Dream is dead. How does Trump respond? By saying "affordability" is a "Democrat scam" and a "hoax." Hello?
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James Talarico: The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
December 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
James Talarico: The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
Trans people aren't taking away our healthcare.
Muslims aren't defunding our schools.
Immigrants aren't cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends.
We are focused on the wrong 1%.
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Breaking NYT:
The Honduran attorney general just announced that he issued an international arrest warrant for the country's former president, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by Trump and released from a federal prison in the U.S. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/w...
The Honduran attorney general just announced that he issued an international arrest warrant for the country's former president, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by Trump and released from a federal prison in the U.S. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/w...
Honduran Authorities Issue Arrest Warrant for Ex-President Pardoned by Trump
www.nytimes.com
December 9, 2025 at 3:35 AM
Breaking NYT:
The Honduran attorney general just announced that he issued an international arrest warrant for the country's former president, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by Trump and released from a federal prison in the U.S. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/w...
The Honduran attorney general just announced that he issued an international arrest warrant for the country's former president, Juan Orlando Hernández, who was pardoned by Trump and released from a federal prison in the U.S. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/w...
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I would prefer protection from predatory pricing and mandated easy refunds, thanks!
Duffy on what he's doing to improve the airport experience for travelers: "Maybe I want a workout area where people might get some blood flowing doing some pull ups or step ups in the airport."
December 8, 2025 at 9:27 PM
I would prefer protection from predatory pricing and mandated easy refunds, thanks!
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You can have things that are about trying to restructure the Court in the abstract, for the long term, and that's a fine conversation to have. But none solve the immediate problem which is that these people have to go. You can't do that by leaving them in place no matter what other reforms you make.
December 8, 2025 at 9:54 PM
You can have things that are about trying to restructure the Court in the abstract, for the long term, and that's a fine conversation to have. But none solve the immediate problem which is that these people have to go. You can't do that by leaving them in place no matter what other reforms you make.
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7 months ago, some of us argued that young people are highly responsive to the "nature of the times" (Campbell et al 1960) because they are relatively less politically engaged. Thus, their pro-Republican movement in 2024 was likely not a stable generational difference. It looks like we were right.
December 8, 2025 at 7:20 PM
7 months ago, some of us argued that young people are highly responsive to the "nature of the times" (Campbell et al 1960) because they are relatively less politically engaged. Thus, their pro-Republican movement in 2024 was likely not a stable generational difference. It looks like we were right.
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So many (especially young) political reporters were claiming a political realignment while us political scientists who have published peer-reviewed research on that were saying they're way too quick with such a proclamation. More interest in context & history could have saved that bad reporting.
7 months ago, some of us argued that young people are highly responsive to the "nature of the times" (Campbell et al 1960) because they are relatively less politically engaged. Thus, their pro-Republican movement in 2024 was likely not a stable generational difference. It looks like we were right.
December 8, 2025 at 7:34 PM
So many (especially young) political reporters were claiming a political realignment while us political scientists who have published peer-reviewed research on that were saying they're way too quick with such a proclamation. More interest in context & history could have saved that bad reporting.
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So, Alina Habba is out of NJ USAO, but will now be "Senior Advisor to the Attorney General for United States Attorneys," and DOJ is claiming that three different people are running, respectively, the criminal, civil, and administrative divisions of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office.
December 8, 2025 at 7:23 PM
So, Alina Habba is out of NJ USAO, but will now be "Senior Advisor to the Attorney General for United States Attorneys," and DOJ is claiming that three different people are running, respectively, the criminal, civil, and administrative divisions of the New Jersey U.S. Attorney's Office.
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@donmoyn.bsky.social otoh this will surely be useful to the next Democratic president in purging MAGA out of the government
December 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
@donmoyn.bsky.social otoh this will surely be useful to the next Democratic president in purging MAGA out of the government
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The only way to assure individual liberty is to hand unprecedented governmental power to the guy engaged in blatant democratic backsliding
Kavanaugh: Broad delegations to unaccountable agencies are dangerous for individual liberty! We have used the major questions doctrine to prevent agencies from overreaching.
Sauer: MQD not a substitute for the removal power for the president
Sauer: MQD not a substitute for the removal power for the president
December 8, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The only way to assure individual liberty is to hand unprecedented governmental power to the guy engaged in blatant democratic backsliding
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"Individual liberty" is when conservatives decide everything. Their concept of liberty is just domination, not freedom to do what they want, but freedom to force everyone else to do what they want. bsky.app/profile/donm...
The only way to assure individual liberty is to hand unprecedented governmental power to the guy engaged in blatant democratic backsliding
Kavanaugh: Broad delegations to unaccountable agencies are dangerous for individual liberty! We have used the major questions doctrine to prevent agencies from overreaching.
Sauer: MQD not a substitute for the removal power for the president
Sauer: MQD not a substitute for the removal power for the president
December 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
"Individual liberty" is when conservatives decide everything. Their concept of liberty is just domination, not freedom to do what they want, but freedom to force everyone else to do what they want. bsky.app/profile/donm...
Reposted
Breaking news: Alina Habba, President Trump’s embattled pick for top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, announced that she will step down after a federal appeals court ruled that she had been serving in the role unlawfully.
Alina Habba, Trump’s embattled New Jersey prosecutor, says she will leave role
In a statement, Habba said she resigned “to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love.”
wapo.st
December 8, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Breaking news: Alina Habba, President Trump’s embattled pick for top federal prosecutor in New Jersey, announced that she will step down after a federal appeals court ruled that she had been serving in the role unlawfully.
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Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it.
December 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Good on Penn Jillette. Having to come to terms with your entire political identity and philosophy being wrong is not easy and most people could never do it.
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Glad to see people talking about Penn Jillette. The 2024 interview was done by me. I found him to be a refreshingly reflective, self-critical individual who has remained curious and willing to evolve.
December 8, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Glad to see people talking about Penn Jillette. The 2024 interview was done by me. I found him to be a refreshingly reflective, self-critical individual who has remained curious and willing to evolve.
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I have no idea how sincere MTG is here, but the idea that Trump would be bothered by his comments generating death threats misses the point that he has used terror as as a tool.
Terror is not a byproduct of Trumpism; it is a central feature of how he governs.
Terror is not a byproduct of Trumpism; it is a central feature of how he governs.
Marjorie Taylor Greene claims she shared with Trump death threat she received that he incited, and his response was "extremely unkind"
December 8, 2025 at 5:12 AM
I have no idea how sincere MTG is here, but the idea that Trump would be bothered by his comments generating death threats misses the point that he has used terror as as a tool.
Terror is not a byproduct of Trumpism; it is a central feature of how he governs.
Terror is not a byproduct of Trumpism; it is a central feature of how he governs.