Sam Ulmschneider
@samulmschneider.bsky.social
Teaching Constitutional studies, poli sci, political theory, US history topics in Virginia. Own views & comments, these don't reflect my institutional affiliations. Husband / cat person / Madisonian / Lincolnite / Trekkie / strategy gamer / metalhead.
There are only a limited number of nonfiction authors I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy reading Jack Balkin (most of the time). That first sentence highlighted is just such a good touch.
November 12, 2025 at 3:22 AM
There are only a limited number of nonfiction authors I enjoy reading as much as I enjoy reading Jack Balkin (most of the time). That first sentence highlighted is just such a good touch.
The Civil War, too!
October 28, 2025 at 7:04 PM
The Civil War, too!
everything old is new again
October 26, 2025 at 10:42 PM
everything old is new again
ooooh I get it, sorry for the confusion! The album's cover art is great and makes the meaning quite clear
October 25, 2025 at 5:30 PM
ooooh I get it, sorry for the confusion! The album's cover art is great and makes the meaning quite clear
The pattern of youth voter support for liberal or left policies always combines so tragically with this other equally pronounced pattern in both the UK and US....
October 23, 2025 at 5:22 PM
The pattern of youth voter support for liberal or left policies always combines so tragically with this other equally pronounced pattern in both the UK and US....
No Kings in Richmond, VA. We may be a small city but our hearts are in the right place!
October 18, 2025 at 8:59 PM
No Kings in Richmond, VA. We may be a small city but our hearts are in the right place!
More of us should! Marinating in analyses of the founding old and new, bold and hoary alike is the only way to get our arms around such a vast and complicated period and the ideas it generated and complicated.
October 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM
More of us should! Marinating in analyses of the founding old and new, bold and hoary alike is the only way to get our arms around such a vast and complicated period and the ideas it generated and complicated.
College Board's AP Program rly needs to stop pretending it has even a spark of interest in anything other than advancing its brand name and revenue at this point. Maybe once, long ago, it had a purpose of providing opportunities for intellectual curiosity and special engagement but...look at this.
October 7, 2025 at 7:36 PM
College Board's AP Program rly needs to stop pretending it has even a spark of interest in anything other than advancing its brand name and revenue at this point. Maybe once, long ago, it had a purpose of providing opportunities for intellectual curiosity and special engagement but...look at this.
Both of these cats were happy to see me when I finally got home, I will leave you to guess from these pictures what the approximate distribution of brain cells between the two of them is.
October 4, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Both of these cats were happy to see me when I finally got home, I will leave you to guess from these pictures what the approximate distribution of brain cells between the two of them is.
featured prominently in this essay!
September 21, 2025 at 12:33 AM
featured prominently in this essay!
Late-August issue salience in a pretty reliable poll of Virginia registered voters below. When the follow-up w the same methodology happens it'll offer a rare look at how a major media event does (or doesn't) shift state political issue publics and issue dynamics.
September 15, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Late-August issue salience in a pretty reliable poll of Virginia registered voters below. When the follow-up w the same methodology happens it'll offer a rare look at how a major media event does (or doesn't) shift state political issue publics and issue dynamics.
This remains one of the books that's had the most enduring influence and relevance for me of the things I've read over the last decade or so. I remain surprised that Anderson's work here isn't more widely cited in discourse like this. Maybe because it's simultaneously obvious + hard to address?
September 13, 2025 at 12:39 PM
This remains one of the books that's had the most enduring influence and relevance for me of the things I've read over the last decade or so. I remain surprised that Anderson's work here isn't more widely cited in discourse like this. Maybe because it's simultaneously obvious + hard to address?
Vietnam was the sin that cast new deal liberalism from the heaven of public trust in government, Watergate reaffirmed the fall and wrote the coroner's report, and the left-right punches of the recession and Iraq were the last nails in its coffin (public trust in government graph for evidence.)
September 10, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Vietnam was the sin that cast new deal liberalism from the heaven of public trust in government, Watergate reaffirmed the fall and wrote the coroner's report, and the left-right punches of the recession and Iraq were the last nails in its coffin (public trust in government graph for evidence.)
Good albums from the 1990s as the quoted post demands. Also almost included: Kyuss, 'Blues for the Red Sun,' Morcheeba, 'Who Can You Trust,' Dream Theater 'Metropolis Pt. 2', and Th Roots, 'Things Fall Apart.'
September 9, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Good albums from the 1990s as the quoted post demands. Also almost included: Kyuss, 'Blues for the Red Sun,' Morcheeba, 'Who Can You Trust,' Dream Theater 'Metropolis Pt. 2', and Th Roots, 'Things Fall Apart.'
Look I know the “no more forever wars” stuff by the MAGA world was always a bit disingenuous but this letter is just…breathtaking in its open ended claim to legitimate use of military force overseas (?) nearly anytime, anywhere, forever.
September 5, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Look I know the “no more forever wars” stuff by the MAGA world was always a bit disingenuous but this letter is just…breathtaking in its open ended claim to legitimate use of military force overseas (?) nearly anytime, anywhere, forever.
I understand why Oren Cass, as part of his long crusade to fit his policy agenda into the seams of Trumpian personalism and MAGA directed revenge schemes, writes stuff like this. But I have to wonder whether even he really thinks it is any more than wishcasting, putting lipstick on the pig, etc.
September 4, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I understand why Oren Cass, as part of his long crusade to fit his policy agenda into the seams of Trumpian personalism and MAGA directed revenge schemes, writes stuff like this. But I have to wonder whether even he really thinks it is any more than wishcasting, putting lipstick on the pig, etc.
Lafayette wishes everyone a happy Caturday!
August 30, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Lafayette wishes everyone a happy Caturday!
The de minimis exception seems like a great candidate for a 'cross-border commerce' version of this famous meme:
August 26, 2025 at 12:15 AM
The de minimis exception seems like a great candidate for a 'cross-border commerce' version of this famous meme:
I share your optimism and your analogy to the courthouse-speech and oyster-house politics of the 19th century, but the pessimist in me worries that the uniquely well-connected context of NYC - connected with transit, info, and common identity as NYers - means that it's impossible to replicate.
August 24, 2025 at 7:12 PM
I share your optimism and your analogy to the courthouse-speech and oyster-house politics of the 19th century, but the pessimist in me worries that the uniquely well-connected context of NYC - connected with transit, info, and common identity as NYers - means that it's impossible to replicate.
teaching a new course this year means staying about a week or two ahead of the kids with regards to the details, part one of out of approximately one million:
August 14, 2025 at 12:29 AM
teaching a new course this year means staying about a week or two ahead of the kids with regards to the details, part one of out of approximately one million:
There are many social costs to YouTube, but it's made my working life a lot easier by allowing dedicated amateurs to both introduce me to new bands and create eight hour hour endless, mostly-low-interruption playlists full of delightful deep dives like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55_n...
August 12, 2025 at 7:26 PM
There are many social costs to YouTube, but it's made my working life a lot easier by allowing dedicated amateurs to both introduce me to new bands and create eight hour hour endless, mostly-low-interruption playlists full of delightful deep dives like this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=55_n...
The first table entries make no sense. Why generate a summary before reading a source if you plan on reading it, and if you have a summary, will you read it? Where's the line between 'help generate and develop ideas' v 'write most of it for me'? Students aren't equipped to make those distinctions!
August 5, 2025 at 6:16 PM
The first table entries make no sense. Why generate a summary before reading a source if you plan on reading it, and if you have a summary, will you read it? Where's the line between 'help generate and develop ideas' v 'write most of it for me'? Students aren't equipped to make those distinctions!
Every post or article I seem to read from K12 take-slingers that says it is being "thoughtful" about AI use boils down to "the problem is not AI, the problem is educators who are insufficiently enlightened about how great AI really is." Here's an example:
August 1, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Every post or article I seem to read from K12 take-slingers that says it is being "thoughtful" about AI use boils down to "the problem is not AI, the problem is educators who are insufficiently enlightened about how great AI really is." Here's an example:
The amount of exceptionally credulous pablum that people throw around in education spaces about AI is really impressive, to wit:
July 31, 2025 at 5:20 PM
The amount of exceptionally credulous pablum that people throw around in education spaces about AI is really impressive, to wit:
Trouble in the youth political environment ain't no joke. Look at that collapse in party ID among 18-19 over just five years.
July 27, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Trouble in the youth political environment ain't no joke. Look at that collapse in party ID among 18-19 over just five years.