Matt Farrell
@prof-farrell.bsky.social
Educator | Poli-Sci & Public Opinion | My opinions are shaped by a complex interaction of norms and values imparted by family, education, peers, media, and society.
Sharing with the #Polisky folks on here. I just published Elections: Process & Performance. It's an open textbook written for students in elective courses, non specialists, or (possibly) your 70 year old parents. Please feel free to read, use, or share! ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/electionspro...
Elections: Process & Performance – Simple Book Publishing
This book explores the essential components, processes, and principles that shape modern elections. Through accessible explanations and real-world context, this resource helps readers understand how e...
ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub
July 24, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Sharing with the #Polisky folks on here. I just published Elections: Process & Performance. It's an open textbook written for students in elective courses, non specialists, or (possibly) your 70 year old parents. Please feel free to read, use, or share! ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/electionspro...
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Hear me out: we buy a bunch of fentanyl, hire some actors to try to move it across the border, Carney leads a team on horseback that intercepts it. Get it all on camera, leak it to Fox. (It’s as good a plan as any other at this point).
Here we go. Trump has sent his tariff letter to Carney. 35%. Trump adds "if Canada works with me to stop the flow of Fentanyl, we will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter."
July 11, 2025 at 12:50 AM
Hear me out: we buy a bunch of fentanyl, hire some actors to try to move it across the border, Carney leads a team on horseback that intercepts it. Get it all on camera, leak it to Fox. (It’s as good a plan as any other at this point).
Reposted by Matt Farrell
the two things that define the modern world are not being a subsistence farmer and antibiotics
July 1, 2025 at 12:39 AM
the two things that define the modern world are not being a subsistence farmer and antibiotics
If I understand correctly, X/Twitter is for whining about progressive lefties like Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein, and Bluesky is for whining about reactionary populists like Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein.
June 18, 2025 at 3:02 PM
If I understand correctly, X/Twitter is for whining about progressive lefties like Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein, and Bluesky is for whining about reactionary populists like Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
a nation on edge holds its breath as the former host of celebrity apprentice huddles with his advisors, the wrestlemania ceo and the former co-host of fox & friends weekends
June 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
a nation on edge holds its breath as the former host of celebrity apprentice huddles with his advisors, the wrestlemania ceo and the former co-host of fox & friends weekends
Reposted by Matt Farrell
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
Term limits are all bad. They have a dozen deleterious effects on government and zero good ones. They achieve none of the goals their proponents say they do. No one should ever advocate for term limits.
Term limits are all bad. They have a dozen deleterious effects on government and zero good ones. They achieve none of the goals their proponents say they do. No one should ever advocate for term limits.
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
That there are norms that are supposed to shape how both civilians and military behave towards each other and that they are poorly understood by both.
Alternatively, don't always listen to the generals.
That there are norms that are supposed to shape how both civilians and military behave towards each other and that they are poorly understood by both.
Alternatively, don't always listen to the generals.
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
Restaurants run on razor thin margins. Successful ones might only clear 5% net profit each month.
Restaurants run on razor thin margins. Successful ones might only clear 5% net profit each month.
June 17, 2025 at 12:23 PM
What is common knowledge in your field, but shocks outsiders?
Term limits are all bad. They have a dozen deleterious effects on government and zero good ones. They achieve none of the goals their proponents say they do. No one should ever advocate for term limits.
Term limits are all bad. They have a dozen deleterious effects on government and zero good ones. They achieve none of the goals their proponents say they do. No one should ever advocate for term limits.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
from "Classical Studies memes for Hellenistic teens" on FB
June 10, 2025 at 7:57 PM
from "Classical Studies memes for Hellenistic teens" on FB
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Like citizens of a sovereign Alberta, the Maple Leafs will not be allowed to keep their Canadian passports.
May 19, 2025 at 1:34 AM
Like citizens of a sovereign Alberta, the Maple Leafs will not be allowed to keep their Canadian passports.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Academia will put you through 17 meetings, two hour-long presentations, five meals, and four flights just for a chance to make $38,000 teaching English in a town of 8,000 people in rural western Nebraska
May 13, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Academia will put you through 17 meetings, two hour-long presentations, five meals, and four flights just for a chance to make $38,000 teaching English in a town of 8,000 people in rural western Nebraska
Reposted by Matt Farrell
In Canada, public opinion once forced out a cabinet minister for expensing an $18 glass of orange juice.
ABC reports Trump to take “flying palace” from Qatar and use it as temporary Air Force 1 before converting it to a personal possession.
Trump administration poised to accept 'palace in the sky' as a gift for Trump from Qatar: Sources
President Trump poised to accept "palace in the sky" as a gift from Qatar: Sources
abcnews.go.com
May 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM
In Canada, public opinion once forced out a cabinet minister for expensing an $18 glass of orange juice.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
La belle Alberta.
May 6, 2025 at 2:56 PM
La belle Alberta.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Women?
Trump on strollers: "All costs are down. Everything is down other than the thing you carry the babies around in."
May 5, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Women?
Reposted by Matt Farrell
There were many interesting storylines in this election, but the Conservatives have to be feeling good about their chances in the next one. The coalition looks pretty durable.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
www.economist.com/the-americas...
Canada’s new Conservative coalition resembles Donald Trump’s
Just as in the United States, working-class and immigrant voters swung right
www.economist.com
May 1, 2025 at 1:42 AM
There were many interesting storylines in this election, but the Conservatives have to be feeling good about their chances in the next one. The coalition looks pretty durable.
www.economist.com/the-americas...
www.economist.com/the-americas...
This is a good response. The attention economy demands eyeballs & results, but counting votes takes time and results are meaningless until the counting is finished.
Greetings followers. We've updated our election stories to indicate that Mark Carney's victory is projected, not definitive, since the numbers are jumping around a lot due to advance polls and very close races that have yet to be decided. Thanks for your patience/understanding.
April 29, 2025 at 4:07 AM
This is a good response. The attention economy demands eyeballs & results, but counting votes takes time and results are meaningless until the counting is finished.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
I confess I had no idea she was still alive let alone in the House of Commons
CIVILIZATIONS RISE
CIVILIZATIONS FALL
HEDY FRY IS FOREVER
SHE WINS VANCOUVER CENTRE FOR THE 11TH STRAIGHT TIME
CIVILIZATIONS FALL
HEDY FRY IS FOREVER
SHE WINS VANCOUVER CENTRE FOR THE 11TH STRAIGHT TIME
April 29, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I confess I had no idea she was still alive let alone in the House of Commons
Reposted by Matt Farrell
i love quebec
April 29, 2025 at 2:51 AM
i love quebec
Reposted by Matt Farrell
Once again, just months ago, the Mental & Physical Acuity of Geriatric Presidents was The Great Political Issue Of Our Time. This? Won't even be in the papers, let alone on the front page, by tomorrow.
Also, again, this is obscene & should immediately end his presidency: bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Also, again, this is obscene & should immediately end his presidency: bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Trump brings up "Governor Trudeau" and says, "I have to be honest. As a state, it works great. As a nation ... why are we spending $200 billion? It doesn't make sense."
April 23, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Once again, just months ago, the Mental & Physical Acuity of Geriatric Presidents was The Great Political Issue Of Our Time. This? Won't even be in the papers, let alone on the front page, by tomorrow.
Also, again, this is obscene & should immediately end his presidency: bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Also, again, this is obscene & should immediately end his presidency: bsky.app/profile/mcop...
Pretty good look at the nuts-and-bolts of election administration in Canada. ⬇️
Someone on Facebook is telling Canadians to "never vote in pencil" and to bring a pen or permanent marker with them to vote.
As someone who's worked like five provincial and federal elections, here's why you don't have to worry about that. 🧵
As someone who's worked like five provincial and federal elections, here's why you don't have to worry about that. 🧵
April 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Pretty good look at the nuts-and-bolts of election administration in Canada. ⬇️
Reposted by Matt Farrell
FWIW, non-zero chance NDP ends up in a position of potential influence in the next parliament, along with the Bloc.
I’ve said it before, NDP with fewer seats than their average in a minority parliament is infinitely more significant than with more seats against a majority.
I’ve said it before, NDP with fewer seats than their average in a minority parliament is infinitely more significant than with more seats against a majority.
April 22, 2025 at 1:00 AM
FWIW, non-zero chance NDP ends up in a position of potential influence in the next parliament, along with the Bloc.
I’ve said it before, NDP with fewer seats than their average in a minority parliament is infinitely more significant than with more seats against a majority.
I’ve said it before, NDP with fewer seats than their average in a minority parliament is infinitely more significant than with more seats against a majority.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
In this ancient Jerusalem diner, they’re still standing by Barabbas.
April 19, 2025 at 1:39 AM
In this ancient Jerusalem diner, they’re still standing by Barabbas.
Without fail the 'innovations' from these firms boil down to some type of regulatory arbitrage.
Official tech corp position is that books are so high value that it would be impossible to train quality LLMs without them AND books have zero value and thus it is ridiculous to expect global tech corps to pay any money for them.
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
This Is How Meta AI Staffers Deemed More Than 7 Million Books to Have No “Economic Value”
As more than a dozen lawsuits churn ahead, newly unsealed case files reveal the company’s stance: The pirated books Meta used to train its AI, including ones by Beverly Cleary, Jacqueline Woodson, and...
www.vanityfair.com
April 17, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Without fail the 'innovations' from these firms boil down to some type of regulatory arbitrage.
Reposted by Matt Farrell
We are not a serious country.
April 15, 2025 at 9:00 PM
We are not a serious country.