Peter Levine
@peterlevine.bsky.social
Tufts professor of Political Science and Philosophy & Tisch College Associate Dean. Blogging since 2003 at peterlevine.ws
If the sky were seen for the first time peterlevine.ws?p=34334
August 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM
If the sky were seen for the first time peterlevine.ws?p=34334
The Day of My Life peterlevine.ws?p=34250
July 21, 2025 at 1:38 PM
The Day of My Life peterlevine.ws?p=34250
Hannah Arendt, "I’m Nothing but a Little Dot"
(translation with notes) peterlevine.ws?p=34083
(translation with notes) peterlevine.ws?p=34083
May 22, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Hannah Arendt, "I’m Nothing but a Little Dot"
(translation with notes) peterlevine.ws?p=34083
(translation with notes) peterlevine.ws?p=34083
April 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
March 27, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Good crowd at Tufts right now
March 26, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Good crowd at Tufts right now
building a democracy helpdesk: peterlevine.ws?p=33776
March 24, 2025 at 3:24 PM
building a democracy helpdesk: peterlevine.ws?p=33776
13. Executive aggrandizement
14. The attention economy
15. Climate change
16. Anxiety about American “exceptionalism
All of these trends relate to the same larger problem: the degradation of democracy.
14. The attention economy
15. Climate change
16. Anxiety about American “exceptionalism
All of these trends relate to the same larger problem: the degradation of democracy.
March 18, 2025 at 6:38 PM
13. Executive aggrandizement
14. The attention economy
15. Climate change
16. Anxiety about American “exceptionalism
All of these trends relate to the same larger problem: the degradation of democracy.
14. The attention economy
15. Climate change
16. Anxiety about American “exceptionalism
All of these trends relate to the same larger problem: the degradation of democracy.
9. Affective polarization
10. Loneliness
11. COVID hangover
12. Legislative incapacity
10. Loneliness
11. COVID hangover
12. Legislative incapacity
March 18, 2025 at 6:37 PM
9. Affective polarization
10. Loneliness
11. COVID hangover
12. Legislative incapacity
10. Loneliness
11. COVID hangover
12. Legislative incapacity
5. Oligarchy
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
March 18, 2025 at 6:36 PM
5. Oligarchy
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
5. Oligarchy
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
March 18, 2025 at 6:36 PM
5. Oligarchy
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
6. Elite capture
7. Regulatory capture
8. Racial backlash
16 colliding forces that create our moment
1. Costs of neoliberalism
2. Class inversion (right-wing parties depending on less-educated and less affluent constituencies
3. Right-wing populist authoritarianism:
4. Effective state repression
details on each: peterlevine.ws?p=33723
1. Costs of neoliberalism
2. Class inversion (right-wing parties depending on less-educated and less affluent constituencies
3. Right-wing populist authoritarianism:
4. Effective state repression
details on each: peterlevine.ws?p=33723
March 18, 2025 at 6:35 PM
16 colliding forces that create our moment
1. Costs of neoliberalism
2. Class inversion (right-wing parties depending on less-educated and less affluent constituencies
3. Right-wing populist authoritarianism:
4. Effective state repression
details on each: peterlevine.ws?p=33723
1. Costs of neoliberalism
2. Class inversion (right-wing parties depending on less-educated and less affluent constituencies
3. Right-wing populist authoritarianism:
4. Effective state repression
details on each: peterlevine.ws?p=33723
Sociology nerds will know why I found this amusing.
February 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Sociology nerds will know why I found this amusing.
Hannah Arendt wrote this poem in the winter of 1925-6, the season when she turned 20 and broke up with her teacher, Martin Heidegger. My translation is below, and some commentary is here: peterlevine.ws?p=33144
January 2, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Hannah Arendt wrote this poem in the winter of 1925-6, the season when she turned 20 and broke up with her teacher, Martin Heidegger. My translation is below, and some commentary is here: peterlevine.ws?p=33144
In 2020, people who were civically engaged locally were far more trusting of the media and schools, and less favorable to Trump, than others. Ideology was unrelated to feelings about Trump in this model.
To restore democracy, we must increase local engagement.
See: peterlevine.ws?p=33182
To restore democracy, we must increase local engagement.
See: peterlevine.ws?p=33182
December 13, 2024 at 6:17 PM
In 2020, people who were civically engaged locally were far more trusting of the media and schools, and less favorable to Trump, than others. Ideology was unrelated to feelings about Trump in this model.
To restore democracy, we must increase local engagement.
See: peterlevine.ws?p=33182
To restore democracy, we must increase local engagement.
See: peterlevine.ws?p=33182
happiness, for skeptics peterlevine.ws?p=33092
... 6. We must embody truths, not merely acknowledge them.
(In the essay, I discuss Stevens and Cézanne as models)
... 6. We must embody truths, not merely acknowledge them.
(In the essay, I discuss Stevens and Cézanne as models)
December 4, 2024 at 5:27 PM
happiness, for skeptics peterlevine.ws?p=33092
... 6. We must embody truths, not merely acknowledge them.
(In the essay, I discuss Stevens and Cézanne as models)
... 6. We must embody truths, not merely acknowledge them.
(In the essay, I discuss Stevens and Cézanne as models)
happiness, for skeptics peterlevine.ws?p=33092
2. Compassion combats suffering; 3. Each mind is a ripple in the river of history;
4. We can do things that have outcomes for their own sake; 5. Reality rewards a close and open-minded inquiry; ...🧵
2. Compassion combats suffering; 3. Each mind is a ripple in the river of history;
4. We can do things that have outcomes for their own sake; 5. Reality rewards a close and open-minded inquiry; ...🧵
December 4, 2024 at 5:26 PM
happiness, for skeptics peterlevine.ws?p=33092
2. Compassion combats suffering; 3. Each mind is a ripple in the river of history;
4. We can do things that have outcomes for their own sake; 5. Reality rewards a close and open-minded inquiry; ...🧵
2. Compassion combats suffering; 3. Each mind is a ripple in the river of history;
4. We can do things that have outcomes for their own sake; 5. Reality rewards a close and open-minded inquiry; ...🧵
November 20, 2024 at 3:28 PM
Experiences of voice in high school predict intention to vote in 2024, but these experiences are unequal by race/ethnicity.
More: peterlevine.ws?p=31482
More: peterlevine.ws?p=31482
April 22, 2024 at 6:26 PM
Experiences of voice in high school predict intention to vote in 2024, but these experiences are unequal by race/ethnicity.
More: peterlevine.ws?p=31482
More: peterlevine.ws?p=31482
Mapping a specific organization as a social network and also a belief network: peterlevine.ws?p=31374
March 29, 2024 at 3:50 PM
Mapping a specific organization as a social network and also a belief network: peterlevine.ws?p=31374
Reading for personal interest is in decline. Some comments here: peterlevine.ws?p=31326
March 13, 2024 at 7:50 PM
Reading for personal interest is in decline. Some comments here: peterlevine.ws?p=31326
"Cephalus" (a poem) peterlevine.ws?p=31297.
March 11, 2024 at 2:16 PM
"Cephalus" (a poem) peterlevine.ws?p=31297.
For Intl Women's Day: "Zebenna, Wife of Odeantus, a woman of lustie courage, and of great policie in warre ..., in despite of [the Emperor] Galienus (who consumed his life in lyfe in lechery and bankettynge) took on her the governaunce of the easte, and was called Empresse."
peterlevine.ws?p=31291
peterlevine.ws?p=31291
March 8, 2024 at 9:28 PM
For Intl Women's Day: "Zebenna, Wife of Odeantus, a woman of lustie courage, and of great policie in warre ..., in despite of [the Emperor] Galienus (who consumed his life in lyfe in lechery and bankettynge) took on her the governaunce of the easte, and was called Empresse."
peterlevine.ws?p=31291
peterlevine.ws?p=31291
CIRCLE has published detailed data on young people’s views of the current war in the Middle East.
My quick summary: peterlevine.ws?p=31162
Whole report: circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea...
My quick summary: peterlevine.ws?p=31162
Whole report: circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea...
February 16, 2024 at 6:13 PM
CIRCLE has published detailed data on young people’s views of the current war in the Middle East.
My quick summary: peterlevine.ws?p=31162
Whole report: circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea...
My quick summary: peterlevine.ws?p=31162
Whole report: circle.tufts.edu/latest-resea...
Americans turned more tolerant of controversial speech, except for racism, from 1976-2018. Since 2020, tolerance for racist & militarist speakers has declined sharply, with the former trend driven by liberals, and the latter bipartisan. Discussed: peterlevine.ws?p=30770
December 5, 2023 at 1:53 PM
Americans turned more tolerant of controversial speech, except for racism, from 1976-2018. Since 2020, tolerance for racist & militarist speakers has declined sharply, with the former trend driven by liberals, and the latter bipartisan. Discussed: peterlevine.ws?p=30770