Roger Myerson
@rbmyerson.bsky.social
Professor at UChicago. Author of Game Theory: Analysis of Conflict (1991).
Pinned
Roger Myerson
@rbmyerson.bsky.social
· Nov 20
The Autocrat's Credibility Problem and Foundations of the Constitutional State on JSTOR
Roger B. Myerson, The Autocrat's Credibility Problem and Foundations of the Constitutional State, The American Political Science Review, Vol. 102, No. 1 (Feb., 2008), pp. 125-139
jstor.org
What can deter a supreme leader from violating the Constitution? Fear that a violation would shock his essential supporters from trusting and supporting him. A constitution can fail if a leader who violated its norms can still get support to retain power.
jstor.org/stable/27644...
jstor.org/stable/27644...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
There is zero excuse for police, in a free society, to wear a mask.
Cowards
Cowards
November 8, 2025 at 11:41 PM
There is zero excuse for police, in a free society, to wear a mask.
Cowards
Cowards
Prism has published "Decentralized Stabilization Assistance," on general lessons from failed state-building missions.
A strong democratic system must be rooted in local politics throughout the nation. State-building missions fail when local politics is ignored.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
A strong democratic system must be rooted in local politics throughout the nation. State-building missions fail when local politics is ignored.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
home.uchicago.edu
October 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Prism has published "Decentralized Stabilization Assistance," on general lessons from failed state-building missions.
A strong democratic system must be rooted in local politics throughout the nation. State-building missions fail when local politics is ignored.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
A strong democratic system must be rooted in local politics throughout the nation. State-building missions fail when local politics is ignored.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
Patriotic Americans are gathering peacefully on Oct 18 to affirm the democratic constitutional values on which this great country was founded. #nokings
This economist will be in the crowd with an American flag here in Chicago.
www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...
This economist will be in the crowd with an American flag here in Chicago.
www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...
Homepage
indivisible.org
October 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Patriotic Americans are gathering peacefully on Oct 18 to affirm the democratic constitutional values on which this great country was founded. #nokings
This economist will be in the crowd with an American flag here in Chicago.
www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...
This economist will be in the crowd with an American flag here in Chicago.
www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...
A manifesto calling for red-state Democrats to lead in the political revival of our great country:
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
thehill.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:11 PM
A manifesto calling for red-state Democrats to lead in the political revival of our great country:
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
Oklahoma’s Republican Governor Criticizes National Guard Deployment in Chicago
www.nytimes.com
October 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Even as the President sends troops to Chicago where I live, I affirm that local Democrats in red states are also on the front line for defense of democracy in America today. They need more support from @democrats.org.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
#DemocracyInAmerica
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
#DemocracyInAmerica
thehill.com
October 8, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Even as the President sends troops to Chicago where I live, I affirm that local Democrats in red states are also on the front line for defense of democracy in America today. They need more support from @democrats.org.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
#DemocracyInAmerica
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
#DemocracyInAmerica
What would Texans say if the President sent Illinois Guard troops to patrol their town? The Second Amendment affirms that people's right to keep local order by locally accountable forces is necessary to the security of a free state. This right is vital for all of us.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
Live Updates: Top Trump Officials Head to Illinois and Oregon
www.nytimes.com
October 7, 2025 at 3:25 PM
What would Texans say if the President sent Illinois Guard troops to patrol their town? The Second Amendment affirms that people's right to keep local order by locally accountable forces is necessary to the security of a free state. This right is vital for all of us.
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
www.nytimes.com/live/2025/10...
Defending democracy is fundamentally different from winning elections when rules of democracy can be taken for granted.
In a must-read article, @jvl.bsky.social observes that "Democrats are negotiating about policy when they should be negotiating about power."
www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...
In a must-read article, @jvl.bsky.social observes that "Democrats are negotiating about policy when they should be negotiating about power."
www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...
Here’s How Trump Loses the Shutdown
God help us but Gavin Newsom is the only Democrat who understands power.
www.thebulwark.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Defending democracy is fundamentally different from winning elections when rules of democracy can be taken for granted.
In a must-read article, @jvl.bsky.social observes that "Democrats are negotiating about policy when they should be negotiating about power."
www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...
In a must-read article, @jvl.bsky.social observes that "Democrats are negotiating about policy when they should be negotiating about power."
www.thebulwark.com/p/democrats-...
The President's threats to unseat congressional representatives by endorsing primary challengers is a profound change in America. In 1913-1960 Presidents rarely endorsed primary challengers against incumbents in their own party, and half these challengers lost.
See Riker&Bast doi.org/10.1007/978-...
See Riker&Bast doi.org/10.1007/978-...
Presidential Action in Congressional Nominations
Commentary. In striking contrast to the progressive centralization of administration, there seems to have been very little centralization of political control. The measurement in chapter 4 (Riker and ...
doi.org
September 9, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The President's threats to unseat congressional representatives by endorsing primary challengers is a profound change in America. In 1913-1960 Presidents rarely endorsed primary challengers against incumbents in their own party, and half these challengers lost.
See Riker&Bast doi.org/10.1007/978-...
See Riker&Bast doi.org/10.1007/978-...
A new paper revisits results of Thomas Worrall 1990: In the long run, incentive-constrained risk-averse agents tend to be enriched with competitive credit, but impoverished with monopolistic credit. But agents prefer the insurance that a credit monopolist can offer.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
home.uchicago.edu
September 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
A new paper revisits results of Thomas Worrall 1990: In the long run, incentive-constrained risk-averse agents tend to be enriched with competitive credit, but impoverished with monopolistic credit. But agents prefer the insurance that a credit monopolist can offer.
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
home.uchicago.edu/~rmyerson/re...
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
thehill.com
August 30, 2025 at 10:50 PM
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
thehill.com/opinion/camp...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
The second amendment guarantees the right to a militia to guard against federal tyranny. But if a president can use that force against its own state, against the wishes of that state, then it is no militia at all and a clear violation of the second amendment.
August 24, 2025 at 11:38 PM
The second amendment guarantees the right to a militia to guard against federal tyranny. But if a president can use that force against its own state, against the wishes of that state, then it is no militia at all and a clear violation of the second amendment.
America's Founders would have been shocked by any suggestion of a President sending troops to cities where local authorities have kept order.
If police had existed in 1791, the 2nd Amendment might have also affirmed people's right to well-regulated local policing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/u...
If police had existed in 1791, the 2nd Amendment might have also affirmed people's right to well-regulated local policing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/u...
Democrats Criticize Trump’s Push for National Guard in More Cities
www.nytimes.com
August 25, 2025 at 12:06 AM
America's Founders would have been shocked by any suggestion of a President sending troops to cities where local authorities have kept order.
If police had existed in 1791, the 2nd Amendment might have also affirmed people's right to well-regulated local policing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/u...
If police had existed in 1791, the 2nd Amendment might have also affirmed people's right to well-regulated local policing.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/24/u...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
ICYMI
"If you want to have a coup against the constitutional order, you want to control the capital city. And if he has control of the policing in the city of Washington...Who's gonna tell him to leave the White House?"
@gtconway.bsky.social joins @jvl.bsky.social:
@gtconway.bsky.social joins @jvl.bsky.social:
August 24, 2025 at 2:21 PM
ICYMI
Netanyahu's government has vowed to eliminate Hamas but has supported no alternative leadership for the people of Gaza. This basic contradiction has prevented Israel's invasion from achieving any positive political result beyond horrific suffering and destruction.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/w...
‘Arab Forces’ Running Gaza? Netanyahu’s Goal Leaves Many Questions.
www.nytimes.com
August 10, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Netanyahu's government has vowed to eliminate Hamas but has supported no alternative leadership for the people of Gaza. This basic contradiction has prevented Israel's invasion from achieving any positive political result beyond horrific suffering and destruction.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/09/w...
What is the real end of midterm redistricting? New maps in red & blue states send a message that "both parties manipulate elections, so condemning election interference is hypocrisy," priming people to accept 2026 election interference with all POTUS's power on one side.
thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com
August 8, 2025 at 12:51 PM
What is the real end of midterm redistricting? New maps in red & blue states send a message that "both parties manipulate elections, so condemning election interference is hypocrisy," priming people to accept 2026 election interference with all POTUS's power on one side.
thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com/homenews/cam...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
"Blackmailing was nearly ubiquitous. Across five different frontier AI models from five different companies, the best behaving AIs chose blackmail 79 percent of the time. The worst behaved blackmailed in 96 percent of cases." I'm sorry, Dave; I can't do that. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/ai-m...
AI Might Let You Die to Save Itself
In recent simulations, leading AI systems blackmailed their human users—or even let them die—to avoid being shut down or replaced.
www.lawfaremedia.org
July 31, 2025 at 10:06 PM
"Blackmailing was nearly ubiquitous. Across five different frontier AI models from five different companies, the best behaving AIs chose blackmail 79 percent of the time. The worst behaved blackmailed in 96 percent of cases." I'm sorry, Dave; I can't do that. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/ai-m...
A President with a nationwide force for mass arrests would be among the worst fears of America's Founders. They faced such issues in Fugitive Slave Acts, which mandated arrests by local officials & private slave-catchers, with certification under federal courts.
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-worst-...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-worst-...
The Worst ICE Agents Are Coming
Tens of billions of new dollars plus a rush to hire 10,000 new agents equals a disaster in the making.
www.thebulwark.com
July 28, 2025 at 1:10 AM
A President with a nationwide force for mass arrests would be among the worst fears of America's Founders. They faced such issues in Fugitive Slave Acts, which mandated arrests by local officials & private slave-catchers, with certification under federal courts.
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-worst-...
www.thebulwark.com/p/the-worst-...
To mark 80 years since the Trinity Test, an outstanding group of scientists, diplomats, and journalists assembled in Chicago for 3 days of intense discussion about the prevention of nuclear war. I was proud to participate and support the group's final declaration.
thebulletin.org/2025/07/the-...
thebulletin.org/2025/07/the-...
The Nobel Laureate Assembly Declaration for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Tremendous progress has been made in reducing global nuclear stockpiles and nuclear risks, but we are now heading in the wrong direction. Poised at the beginning of a new, complex, and dangerous nucle...
thebulletin.org
July 17, 2025 at 1:40 AM
To mark 80 years since the Trinity Test, an outstanding group of scientists, diplomats, and journalists assembled in Chicago for 3 days of intense discussion about the prevention of nuclear war. I was proud to participate and support the group's final declaration.
thebulletin.org/2025/07/the-...
thebulletin.org/2025/07/the-...
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...
July 14, 2025 at 1:19 PM
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its Leader’s command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns and who work for practical solutions in a broad coalition.
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/o...
Announcing ruinous tariffs brings world leaders as supplicants to the White House, which makes a POTUS feel strong. Why would he want to stop this for some deal that just benefits others? But still some "hope that that these tariffs are a means and not solely an end."
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/b...
Tariffs or Deals? Trump Seems Content With Punishing Levies.
www.nytimes.com
July 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Announcing ruinous tariffs brings world leaders as supplicants to the White House, which makes a POTUS feel strong. Why would he want to stop this for some deal that just benefits others? But still some "hope that that these tariffs are a means and not solely an end."
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/b...
www.nytimes.com/2025/07/12/b...
Reposted by Roger Myerson
Are you:
✅ A young scholar in econ, poli sci, or law
✅ Working on institutions, broadly defined
✅ Interested in spending a week in Italy with amazing faculty
If so, please apply to this year’s Coase Institute Workshop! It’s a transformative experience for many, and always fun. I’ll be there.
✅ A young scholar in econ, poli sci, or law
✅ Working on institutions, broadly defined
✅ Interested in spending a week in Italy with amazing faculty
If so, please apply to this year’s Coase Institute Workshop! It’s a transformative experience for many, and always fun. I’ll be there.
Ronald Coase Institute: What's New
www.coase.org
July 7, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Are you:
✅ A young scholar in econ, poli sci, or law
✅ Working on institutions, broadly defined
✅ Interested in spending a week in Italy with amazing faculty
If so, please apply to this year’s Coase Institute Workshop! It’s a transformative experience for many, and always fun. I’ll be there.
✅ A young scholar in econ, poli sci, or law
✅ Working on institutions, broadly defined
✅ Interested in spending a week in Italy with amazing faculty
If so, please apply to this year’s Coase Institute Workshop! It’s a transformative experience for many, and always fun. I’ll be there.
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its leader's command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns, with a commitment to negotiate practical solutions as a broad national coalition.
bsky.app/profile/rbmy...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its leader's command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns, with a commitment to negotiate practical solutions as a broad national coalition.
bsky.app/profile/rbmy...
The Rural-Urban Bridge Initiative interviewed dozens of Democratic candidates who outperformed expectations in Republican-leaning rural districts.
Key finding: Successful rural candidates prioritize listening and focus on whatever issues local people care about.
ruralurbanbridge.org/our-work/dis...
Key finding: Successful rural candidates prioritize listening and focus on whatever issues local people care about.
ruralurbanbridge.org/our-work/dis...
Report: Can Democrats Succeed in Rural America? — Rural Urban Bridge
RUBI interviewed dozens of moderate and progressive candidates for US House and Senate, gubernatorial, and state senate seats who outperformed expectations in Republican-leaning rural districts. We co...
ruralurbanbridge.org
July 5, 2025 at 12:30 PM
What should Democrats stand for?
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its leader's command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns, with a commitment to negotiate practical solutions as a broad national coalition.
bsky.app/profile/rbmy...
Democrats should be the party that does not just march to its leader's command, but everywhere supports candidates who focus on their local voters' concerns, with a commitment to negotiate practical solutions as a broad national coalition.
bsky.app/profile/rbmy...
Pre-emptive war can seem tempting when we believe that a bold strike can be quickly followed by a new peace on more favorable terms. But in the long history of the world, great leaders’ hopes for quick decisive victories have often proved to be terribly ill-founded, as Germans found in 1914.
June 22, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Pre-emptive war can seem tempting when we believe that a bold strike can be quickly followed by a new peace on more favorable terms. But in the long history of the world, great leaders’ hopes for quick decisive victories have often proved to be terribly ill-founded, as Germans found in 1914.