Scott Blinder
@sblinder.bsky.social
Poli Sci professor at UMass Amherst
Reposted by Scott Blinder
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
August 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Children with brain cancer
The US Administration has decided to destroy a top network for clinical trials to test new treatments for children with brain cancer.
This is another atrocity that will harm Conservative and Liberal Americans, long after the politicians responsible are gone.
This is another atrocity that will harm Conservative and Liberal Americans, long after the politicians responsible are gone.
Pediatric Brain Cancer Group to Lose Federal Funding
www.nytimes.com
August 30, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Children with brain cancer
Reposted by Scott Blinder
The New York Times headline writers now call groups like the AMA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons "pro-vaccine groups." They get more preposterous with each passing day.
June 11, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The New York Times headline writers now call groups like the AMA and the College of Physicians and Surgeons "pro-vaccine groups." They get more preposterous with each passing day.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
University leaders need to understand: they are holding INCREDIBLY good cards.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
April 27, 2025 at 5:29 AM
University leaders need to understand: they are holding INCREDIBLY good cards.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
It is so rare in today's polarized era to have the support of 70+ percent of the public against the Trump admiministration on anything. Universities have that—AND winning legal arguments.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
This can't be said enough. The narrative is quickly becoming but universities need fed funds, when it should be that the fed govt needs universities. NCI/NIGMS funding to Harvard/MIT supported research that led to the discovery of Herceptin, a cancer drug that has saved 3 million lives to date! 🧪
The trope that universities are "dependent" on the federal government fundamentally misunderstands how vital this partnership has been for the US. The private sector can't replace it. If we kill it, we're all worse off. From @donmoyn.bsky.social and me: donmoynihan.substack.com/p/are-univer...
April 24, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This can't be said enough. The narrative is quickly becoming but universities need fed funds, when it should be that the fed govt needs universities. NCI/NIGMS funding to Harvard/MIT supported research that led to the discovery of Herceptin, a cancer drug that has saved 3 million lives to date! 🧪
Reposted by Scott Blinder
I hope other university alliances start pooling resources and engaging in the kinds of collective action Rutgers is proposing here for the Big Ten.
senate.rutgers.edu/report/resol...
senate.rutgers.edu/report/resol...
April 7, 2025 at 12:29 AM
I hope other university alliances start pooling resources and engaging in the kinds of collective action Rutgers is proposing here for the Big Ten.
senate.rutgers.edu/report/resol...
senate.rutgers.edu/report/resol...
Reposted by Scott Blinder
If Joe Biden personally destroyed 15% of the stock markets value in three months, never mind three days, house Republicans would have had articles of impeachment on the floor.
Trump is lawless and fragrantly violating the constitution in many ways. Get the process moving.
Trump is lawless and fragrantly violating the constitution in many ways. Get the process moving.
April 7, 2025 at 12:54 AM
If Joe Biden personally destroyed 15% of the stock markets value in three months, never mind three days, house Republicans would have had articles of impeachment on the floor.
Trump is lawless and fragrantly violating the constitution in many ways. Get the process moving.
Trump is lawless and fragrantly violating the constitution in many ways. Get the process moving.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Trump has done the same damage to our health, environment and security as to our markets, it's just that there isn't a stock ticker that measures the impact so clearly
April 7, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Trump has done the same damage to our health, environment and security as to our markets, it's just that there isn't a stock ticker that measures the impact so clearly
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimel. This is a chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law. Musk should be brought to justice immediately. 🧵
March 28, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Elon Musk has committed a blatant felony by offering money for votes in order to help Brad Schimel. This is a chainsaw attack on democracy and the rule of law. Musk should be brought to justice immediately. 🧵
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Apropos of the today's executive order, here's my class slide which summarizes the results of vote audits over the past decade or so. To a pretty close approximation, individual-level voting fraud doesn't exist in this country.
March 25, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Apropos of the today's executive order, here's my class slide which summarizes the results of vote audits over the past decade or so. To a pretty close approximation, individual-level voting fraud doesn't exist in this country.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
As I explain here, security isn't even the biggest part of the Signal Scandal. This is to keep actions secret from the US government. It's how to do crimes, bribes and more. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/signa...
SignalGate Is Bad; But OPSEC Isn’t Even the Worst Part Of It
I haven’t had time to comment on the Jeff Goldberg story about...
talkingpointsmemo.com
March 25, 2025 at 4:07 PM
As I explain here, security isn't even the biggest part of the Signal Scandal. This is to keep actions secret from the US government. It's how to do crimes, bribes and more. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/signa...
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Take a moment today to read about a few of the young children whom Trump and Musk killed by shutting down USAID. The blame for these deaths falls on them.
There will be hundreds of thousands more dead kids before their lethal crusade against foreign aid ends. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
There will be hundreds of thousands more dead kids before their lethal crusade against foreign aid ends. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
March 15, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Take a moment today to read about a few of the young children whom Trump and Musk killed by shutting down USAID. The blame for these deaths falls on them.
There will be hundreds of thousands more dead kids before their lethal crusade against foreign aid ends. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
There will be hundreds of thousands more dead kids before their lethal crusade against foreign aid ends. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Scott Blinder
This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH
March 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM
This is horrible to post, but I may as well post it. We are essentially shutting down research operations in my group, which is focused on treatments for pediatric brain cancer. I’m a well funded investigator, and there’s no choice. Science can’t function without the stability of NIH
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Professors, planning to teach a course about democracy? The American Democracy Collaborative is sharing our syllabi for courses in US & comparative politics! americandemocracycollaborative.org w/ @tompepinsky.com @povertyscholar.bsky.social
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY COLLABORATIVE
Research, Teaching, Dialogue
americandemocracycollaborative.org
March 13, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Professors, planning to teach a course about democracy? The American Democracy Collaborative is sharing our syllabi for courses in US & comparative politics! americandemocracycollaborative.org w/ @tompepinsky.com @povertyscholar.bsky.social
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Today would be yet another good day for university presidents to loudly, collectively, & publicly start defending our institutions & industry. The silence is deafening & frankly, incomprehensible. What exactly are you waiting for? How many Columbias, Maines, & Johns Hopkins will it take?
The entire business model of American R1 universities is not viable without restoration of federal funding, & every individual institution pretending it can solve this problem alone is also not viable. University presidents need to be speaking out, collectively & loudly about this, in DC, right now.
March 12, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Today would be yet another good day for university presidents to loudly, collectively, & publicly start defending our institutions & industry. The silence is deafening & frankly, incomprehensible. What exactly are you waiting for? How many Columbias, Maines, & Johns Hopkins will it take?
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Dems can still get D senators to clip Elon's wings. But they only have about 48 hours to do it. I lay out the terrain in this post. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/will-...
Will Dems Pick Up Their Sword?
(Ed.Note: I go into a lot of detail below. The bottom line...
talkingpointsmemo.com
March 10, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Dems can still get D senators to clip Elon's wings. But they only have about 48 hours to do it. I lay out the terrain in this post. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/will-...
Reposted by Scott Blinder
This is not law. It couldn’t withstand legal scrutiny.
Don’t comply in advance university presidents. General counsel, don’t panic. Do law, not vibes.
Don’t comply in advance university presidents. General counsel, don’t panic. Do law, not vibes.
Real question. What is an “illegal protest”? Real question. He was convicted of a crime. Why hasn’t he been expelled?
March 4, 2025 at 2:04 PM
This is not law. It couldn’t withstand legal scrutiny.
Don’t comply in advance university presidents. General counsel, don’t panic. Do law, not vibes.
Don’t comply in advance university presidents. General counsel, don’t panic. Do law, not vibes.
Reposted by Scott Blinder
Show us the paperwork.
Always demand the paperwork and that they authenticate the paperwork.
It’s never sexy, but Trump almost always fucks it up.
#TrumpAndPaperworkMan
Always demand the paperwork and that they authenticate the paperwork.
It’s never sexy, but Trump almost always fucks it up.
#TrumpAndPaperworkMan
February 26, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Show us the paperwork.
Always demand the paperwork and that they authenticate the paperwork.
It’s never sexy, but Trump almost always fucks it up.
#TrumpAndPaperworkMan
Always demand the paperwork and that they authenticate the paperwork.
It’s never sexy, but Trump almost always fucks it up.
#TrumpAndPaperworkMan
Reposted by Scott Blinder
A few of you have asked me what to tell members of Congress if you call them. I don't know how to write scripts. But this is my best stab at explaining how I see the situation and what Democrats need to do. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/what-...
What To Tell Your Member of Congress
In response to last night’s “Alert” post a number of TPM Readers...
talkingpointsmemo.com
February 25, 2025 at 6:26 PM
A few of you have asked me what to tell members of Congress if you call them. I don't know how to write scripts. But this is my best stab at explaining how I see the situation and what Democrats need to do. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/what-...
Reposted by Scott Blinder
@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @schumer.senate.gov Read this thread and fire your consultants.
February 13, 2025 at 2:05 AM
@hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @schumer.senate.gov Read this thread and fire your consultants.