Robert J. Spitzer
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spitzerb.bsky.social
Robert J. Spitzer
@spitzerb.bsky.social
Distinguished Service Prof. emeritus, Pol. Sci. SUNY Cortland; author The Gun Dilemma (@oxunipress.bsky.social 2023), The Politics of Gun Control 9th ed. (2024)
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Maurene Comey’s Case Is More Consequential Than Her Father’s www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/o...
Opinion | Maurene Comey’s Case Is More Consequential Than Her Father’s
www.nytimes.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:34 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
New episode of Policy Outsider features NYS Assemblymember Charles D. Levine and political science scholar @spitzerb.bsky.social discussing constitutional originalism & legislating firearms in the complex legal environment created by SCOTUS's interpretation of 2A.
rockinst.org/issue-area/e...
Ep. 117. Gun Laws & Originalism | Rockefeller Institute of Government
Decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in Heller and Bruen have recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulat...
rockinst.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
I just can’t…
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Fascinating discussion with distinguished NYS Assemblyman Lavine:
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
What? Shitting on the non-partisan experts that keep us safe is not working?

www.nextgov.com/people/2025/...
A leadership vacuum and staff cuts threaten NSA morale, operational strength
The signals intelligence giant has halted recruitment for its Legal Honors Program, two people familiar say, slowing inflow of top legal talent. Other long-term capabilities are at risk.
www.nextgov.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Congratulations to Virginia’s new Governor!
November 5, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Fascinating discussion with distinguished NYS Assemblyman Lavine:
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
My thanks to @RockefellerInst for the chance to discuss Gun Laws & Constitutional Originalism with the distinguished @CharlesLavineNY: rockinst.org/issue-area/e...
Ep. 117. Gun Laws & Originalism | Rockefeller Institute of Government
Decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States in Heller and Bruen have recast the "right to bear arms" in a new legal framework that makes it more challenging to create effective firearm regulat...
rockinst.org
November 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
“The majority extended absolute immunity to a president who orders the Department of Justice to conduct “sham” investigations. In the year since, rather than preventing the weaponization of prosecutions, the court has unleashed it.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/o...
Opinion | How the Supreme Court Paved the Way for Revenge Prosecutions
www.nytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Why we should hope the judge doesn't grant former FBI Director James Comey's request to dismiss his indictment as vindictive prosecution explained in 98 seconds in my new RealityCheck for DCReport.
www.dcreport.org/2025/10/23/c...
James Comey: Vindictive Prosecution? David Cay Johnston Weighs In
David Cay Johnston explains why the judge should not dismiss James Comey’s case—and how it could expose vindictive prosecution by the Trump administration.
www.dcreport.org
October 23, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
I see my old tweet is making the rounds on Instagram and Facebook. 😊 If you get a chance, pls watch “Surviving Ohio State” on HBO. You will be outraged that this cretin in in the Congress.
October 18, 2025 at 10:41 PM
How about “Trump”?
We still need a word for someone both evil and incompetent.
September 29, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
The main point UE advocates neglect is that the Framers emphasized responsibility as the key duty and perpetual obligation of a unitary executive while the ostensible virtues of energy, vigor, dispatch, and secrecy were only advantages of decision-making that would be exercised only occasionally..
genuinely crazy to me how unitary executive advocates read the vesting clause as granting a huge scope of essentially royal "inherent" powers. one would think that if the framers intended to give the president royal authority, they would have just said so.
September 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
@scholars.org Happy to join with SSN colleague Giraldi as a contributor to this series on guns in the U.S.: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...
Vital City | One Nation Under Guns
Era by era, how firearms conquered America
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Sadly relevant at this moment: the Trump administration's proposal to strip gun rights from trans people; my take: thehill.com/opinion/civi...
thehill.com
September 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Sadly relevant at this moment: the Trump administration's proposal to strip gun rights from trans people; my take: thehill.com/opinion/civi...
thehill.com
September 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Proud to contribute an essay on "A Brief Biography of the Second Amendment" to this amazing collection.

www.vitalcitynyc.org/issues/issue...
Vital City | Issue 13
The supply side of America's gun problem
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Our country's gun past isn't what most people think: in many respects, guns were more heavily regulated in the nation's first 300 years than in the last 30, and the spread of firearms owes more to marketing than necessity. My piece: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...
Vital City | One Nation Under Guns
Era by era, how firearms conquered America
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:38 PM
@scholars.org Happy to join with SSN colleague Giraldi as a contributor to this series on guns in the U.S.: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...
Vital City | One Nation Under Guns
Era by era, how firearms conquered America
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Gun violence affects thousands in the U.S. each year. In this policy brief, @deannagiraldi.bsky.social (@dspi-oxford.bsky.social) shares gaps in research and calls for inclusive, tailored studies and policies that address the real impacts of gun violence.

🔗 Read now: scholars.org/contribution...
September 10, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Our country's gun past isn't what most people think: in many respects, guns were more heavily regulated in the nation's first 300 years than in the last 30, and the spread of firearms owes more to marketing than necessity. My piece: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...
Vital City | One Nation Under Guns
Era by era, how firearms conquered America
www.vitalcitynyc.org
September 10, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Jennifer and I drove 90 minutes through the Finger Lakes countryside yesterday to meet with 60 fans - from Alaska to Florida - of socially conscious comedian Pete Dominick standupwithpete.com and all I got was a jar of honey - fabulous honey from Slate Hill Edible Forest Farm in Marcellus NY.👍🏼 😅
September 7, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Well that’s quite the push notification.
September 8, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Astonishingly, astonishingly bad. I think of all the folks I know who fit these criteria, the families of my kids’ friends who were already worried about crackdowns, the hardworking residents all around my city & county—all now subject to explicit ethnic profiling & forced LEO encounters. Sickening.
September 8, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer
Tonight at 7PM I'll speak on How to Save Our Democracy at the Riviera Theatre in Geneseo about 30 minutes south of Rochester.

The Riviera Theatre
4 Center St
Geneseo, NY 14454
August 5, 2025 at 3:11 PM