Erica Chenoweth

@harvardkennedy.bsky.social is hiring for a number of faculty lines at multiple ranks. See more info here: www.hks.harvard.edu/more/about/l....

From Milton Mayer, “They Thought They Were Free,” p. 197.

“…wherever there was a ‘deserving’ Party member and no other place could be found for him, he would be dumped into education.…Putting ignorant ‘reliables,’ from politics or business, over the educators was also part of the Nazi way of humiliating education and bringing it into popular contempt.”

📣 Job alert! 📣 Harvard Kennedy School is running 2 open-rank faculty searches in technology & public policy. One position is specifically for scholars using data science to address public problems. Please help us spread the word! academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15561

The Breakdown with Erica Chenoweth and Steve Levitsky – Ash Center Join Erica Chenoweth and Steven Levitsky for The Breakdown, a webinar series on the ongoing struggle for American democracy. Each month, Chenoweth and Levitsky will break down key developments, reflec...

Join @stevelevitsky.bsky.social & me online, Monday 11/24 at 3:30pm ET, to talk about where we are in the US struggle for democracy. ash.harvard.edu/events/the-b...

When Border Patrol showed up across Charlotte, parents and neighbors rushed to Berryhill to meet kids at the bus stop. They stood watch, linked arms, and made one thing clear: if the city gets targeted, its children will not face it alone.
This is what community looks like.💙

Ellis repeatedly accuses multiple CBP and ICE officials of lying (under oath) and says their "widespread misrepresentations call into question everything" they "say they are doing in their characterization of what is happening." She broadly discredits their testimony as objectively false.

Nonviolent Action Against Democratic Erosion: The United States in Comparative Perspective – Ash Center

My report on Nonviolent Action against Democratic Erosion is finally out today @harvardash.bsky.social!

I try to put the US democracy movement into global comparative perspective.

For the tl;dr crowd, see below for some key takeaways:

ash.harvard.edu/resources/no...

We want to speak directly to members of the Military and the Intelligence Community.

The American people need you to stand up for our laws and our Constitution.

Don’t give up the ship.

Looking for what you can do to make you voice heard? This campaign is gaining traction.

The enablers have to feel it.

weaintbuyingit.com

Data visualization titled “Even Trump’s Own Judicial Appointees Rule Against His Administration Nearly Half the Time.” Top section shows 81 rulings against (49.1%) vs 84 for (50.9%) among Trump appointees. Middle section compares rulings by appointing party: Democratic appointees ruled against Trump 752 times vs 169 for; Republican appointees 232 against vs 126 for. Bottom section shows historical comparison - how other presidents’ appointees ruled on Trump cases: Biden appointees 252 against/46 for, Obama 368/91, Bush 62/23, Clinton 125/22, Reagan 88/19. Source: Federal Court Dockets from Courtlistener.com. Data from Jan 21, 2025 through Nov 11, 2025, lower federal courts only, Supreme Court not included.

As Trump again ramps up attacks on judges as biased, consider: his own appointees rule against his admin 49% of the time. Republican appointees 65%. Reporters should ask: If the judiciary is biased, why do the judges he picked keep ruling against him?

Federal defense contractor backs out of potential Oregon Coast ICE facility A defense contractor with a history of providing housing for military operations withdrew its inquiry seeking land at the Newport Municipal Airport, a city official said Wednesday, as growing evidence...

“Maybe somebody thought ‘Oh it’s a small place, it’s rural, they’re probably quiet, we can overpower them,” said City Councilor Steve Hickman.

“We’ve been underestimated.”

www.newsfromthestates.com/article/fede...

The Shocking Truth About Gen Z Voters Is That They’re Pretty Great Stop panicking: They are the most progressive generation ever, especially on race. If that surprises you, you’ve been listening to the wrong story.

2/🧵 New piece with @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social in @NewRepublic: We analyzed 60,000+ respondents in the 2024 Cooperative Election Study. Gen Z has the lowest racial resentment of any generation. The generational shift overwhelms the education divide that supposedly defines modern politics.

Black and white photograph of six-year-old Ruby Bridges, wearing a dark dress and white cardigan and carrying a School bag, accompanied by three FBI agents in dark suits.

Sixty-five years ago today, four first-graders desegregated New Orleans's public schools: Ruby Bridges at William Frantz Elementary School, and Leona Tate, Tessie Provost, and Gail Etienne at McDonogh 19 Elementary School. They faced violent mobs and threats to their lives. They were 6 years old. 🗃

Good statement from the US conference of Catholic Bishops

BREAKING: Mark Wolf, appointed to the federal bench by Ronald Reagan, writes that he is resigning as a judge to have the freedom to speak out against the president's assault on the rule of law.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...

Universal swing in action: "What we saw last night was a directional shift toward Democrats in 99.8% of counties that held partisan elections." www.gelliottmorris.com/p/seven-data...

Came here to say this, but Jamelle Bouie has this covered. 👇
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.

YouTube video by Assembly Required with Stacey Abrams Stacey Abrams on No Kings Day and the Power of Civil Disobedience Against Trump

Great discussion between @staceyabrams.com & @chenoweth.bsky.social on the power of peaceful resistance.

People ask a lot about whether protests matter. While Trump’s approval rating is driven by many factors, events like the No Kings rallies likely play a role, too. Media coverage and people seeing their neighbors take a stand help convey that disapproval is not just acceptable but widespread.

2 Illinois National Guard members speak out: "I won't turn against my neighbors" Staff Sgt. Demi Palecek and Capt. Dylan Blaha say they'll defy federal orders regarding Trump's immigration enforcement operation in Chicago.

Two Illinois National Guard members speak out: "I won't turn against my neighbors."

The ex-prosecutor also said this:

“I have a lot of close contacts in law enforcement, and almost to a person, none of them support these actions. As a lawyer, someone who adamantly believes in the rule of law, watching it in open sight in front of my house just be completely eroded…it’s upsetting.”

The Big Tent is Working Julia Roig on why building relational infrastructure takes time

Is the big tent approach to strengthening US democracy working? Yes! Check out how The Horizons Project approaches the task--in the latest Democracy Without Exception piece ⬇️

democracywithoutexception.substack.com/p/the-big-te...

Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, on Standing with Immigrants Oct. 21, 2025 My dear brothers and sisters, today I speak to you as your shepherd, but also as a fellow pilgrim who shares the pain of many of our immigrant communities. Families are being torn apart. Children are left in fear, and communities are shaken by immigration raids and detentions. These actions wound the soul of our city. Let me be clear. The Church stands with migrants. We stand with a mother who crosses borders to feed her children. We stand with the father who labors in silence to build a better future. We stand with the young person who dreams of safety and a better future. Our parishes and schools will not turn away those who seek comfort, and we will not be silent when dignity is denied in the enforcement of the law, it is essential that we respect the dignity of every human being. Now I want to say something directly to those immigrants without documents. Most of you have been here for years. You have worked hard. You have raised families. You have contributed to this nation. You have earned our respect. As the Archbishop of Chicago, I will insist that you be treated with dignity. Americans should not forget that we all come from immigrant families. You are our brothers and sisters. We stand with you. God bless you all.

NEW: Cardinal Blase Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, has issued a new statement declaring that Chicago "communities are shaken by immigration raids and detentions. These actions wound the soul of our city. Let me be clear. The Church stands with migrants."

The New York Times Argues “Moving to the Center Is the Way to Win.” But the Data Shows the Strategy Is Tapped Out. Democrats already run moderates in nearly every swing district. It's not enough. A data-driven response to the case for centrism as a core electoral strategy.

My response to the NYT’s “moderate to win” argument: The data shows the strategy is tapped out. Being seen as moderate by voters doesn’t boost votes, replacing every progressive with moderates would net 0 seats, and the graveyard of defeated D incumbents if full of moderates, not progressives.

Very good @shteyngart.bsky.social piece illuminating below.

Happening today - 4pm ET. Register below.

Glee and Grievance: Emotive Events and Campaign Size in Nonviolent Resistance While scholars of nonviolent resistance recognize that large-scale campaigns are more likely to be successful campaigns, scholars and policymakers currently have little understanding of why some nonvi...

From a 2022 piece by Gledhill, Shay, & @allardduursma.bsky.social: "campaigns that are more creative, humorous, cathartic, and/or fun are also more likely to be large-scale" civil resistance campaigns bc of the "feelings of empowerment, solidarity, catharsis, or glee that accompany these events."

When you see 2-3 percent doing something costly like protesting, you figure there are at least 10x who would like to but couldn't, 20x who largely agree, and 5-10 percent who are undecided but really thinking about what is going on.

The sum is way over 50 percent any way you cut it.