LPE Blog

Pushing “market logic” into higher education has made the wealthy schools richer and the poorly resourced schools poorer.

@lookheron.bsky.social builds on his arguments and findings in his recent report for @lpeblog.bsky.social.

lpeproject.org/blog/the-neo...

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is…

Today, Beau Baumann grapples with a fundamental challenge for the post-Trump era: to re-build state capacity requires a government that is seen as legitimate, yet it is precisely the erosion of administrative legitimacy that has enabled Trump to carry out his deconstructive agenda.

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is…

Self-recommending from @beaubaumann.bsky.social. "To wrest the hearts and minds of Americans away from the unitary executive and towards a truly democratic foundation for the administrative state, reconstruction must be centered on representation." lpeproject.org/blog/rebuild...

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is…

This piece by @beaubaumann.bsky.social is really good and focusing on all the right questions. lpeproject.org/blog/rebuild...

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is…

I’m back up in @lpeblog.bsky.social today

…

as an antagonist to @beaubaumann.bsky.social in this generative post about thinking bigger in our rebuilding ambitions

lpeproject.org/blog/rebuild...

From the SantaFe community on Reddit: Santa Fe Animal Shelter volunteer James made a video to celebrate his buddy Nico (also featuring some aspens to stay on theme) Explore this post and more from the SantaFe community

My shelter buddy Nico has been waiting for someone to adopt him for 219 days.

I made a short video to help advertise him to New Mexico residents. If you want to do a small kindness today, consider liking or sharing the Reddit post, so that it reaches more people.

How NYC Became So Unequal Ever wonder why CUNY is no longer free? Confused why the subway fare keeps rising while service declines? Join LPE NYC on October 23 at 6:30pm for a conversation between Professors Gregory Louis and…

Then on October 23rd at CUNY Law, the first session of LPE NYC Night School will look at the question of how things got so unaffordable and unequal in the first place with Gregory Louis and Mason Williams, moderated by @llchristyll.bsky.social

lpeproject.org/events/nyc-s...

The Neoliberal Foundation of the Authoritarian Turn in Higher Education Recent authoritarian attacks on higher education mark a significant shift from the neoliberal era, which celebrated institutional independence from the state, the role of education in boosting worker…

Today, @lookheron.bsky.social argues that, for higher education, it's been one battle after another: how the neoliberal era laid the groundwork for the recent authoritarian turn.

Important piece by @lookheron.bsky.social tracing how the steady neoliberalization of higher education has sowed fertile ground for its takeover by authoritarians

"by pushing 'market logic' into higher education, these reforms have made the rich richer and the poor poorer... It seems to me that this increasingly unequal system did a great deal of harm to higher education’s standing in our society, opening the door to right-wing attacks."

Live shot of Luke explaining how neoliberal efforts to promote “accountability” and shift planning responsibilities to elected officials made it easier to implement the right-wing turn toward indoctrination.

The Neoliberal Foundation of the Authoritarian Turn in Higher Education Recent authoritarian attacks on higher education mark a significant shift from the neoliberal era, which celebrated institutional independence from the state, the role of education in boosting worker…

Today, @lookheron.bsky.social argues that, for higher education, it's been one battle after another: how the neoliberal era laid the groundwork for the recent authoritarian turn.

The Neoliberal Foundation of the Authoritarian Turn in Higher Education Recent authoritarian attacks on higher education mark a significant shift from the neoliberal era, which celebrated institutional independence from the state, the role of education in boosting worker…

In which I explore how changes in state-level public higher ed governance during the neoliberal era opened space for more recent authoritarian crackdowns.

lpeproject.org/blog/the-neo...

I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.

The Unconstitutional Conditions Doctrine and the Compact for Excellence Members of the Trump administration love to say that federal funding is a privilege not a right and therefore something that can be granted or withheld based on changing administrative priorities.

“The fact that so many of its provisions infringe on the protected 1st A rights of the universities…makes the Compact almost certainly unconstitutional.”

Must read by @genevievelakier.bsky.social

blog.dividedargument.com/p/the-uncons...

New essay: law & the self-coordinating market idea Essay for the University of Chicago Law Review Symposium, held in April 2025, on “Law & Economics vs. Law & Political Economy: A Debate” (draft) Law & the scm idea uchi l re…

Hello! Here is my essay (still a draft) for a symposium held in the spring at the university of chicago. (Please note that the title of the symposium was set by the law review; I chose my essay title.) Comments are welcome.

thesanjuktablog.wordpress.com/2025/10/03/n...

Weekly Roundup: Oct 3 Steffen Seitz on conspiracy law and social movements, Darryl Li on the weaponization of campus antisemitism investigations, and Erik Peinert on the staying power of the antimonopoly movement. Plus…

Week in review: Steffen Seitz on conspiracy law and social movements, Darryl Li on the weaponization of campus antisemitism investigations, and Erik Peinert on the staying power of the antimonopoly movement.

Plus, the best of LPE from around the web in the 🧵👇

Against Money A powerful deconstruction of humanity’s most influential invention, from the acclaimed economists J. W. Mason and Arjun Jayadev.   Money is unavoidably fundamental to our daily lives. It lurks behind ...

And, finally, a cool new book to pre-order: Against Money by @jwmason.bsky.social and Arjun Jayadev.

How Democracies Fall Apart - Dissent Magazine An interview with Adam Przeworski.

In @Dissent, Patrick Iber interviews with Adam Przeworski about How Democracies Fall Apart.

Symposia: Counterrevolution

If you enjoy the episode, make sure to check out our symposium on the book. Featuring: Melinda Cooper, Quinn Slobodian, Allison Tait, Mehrsa Baradaran, and Zohra Ahmed. Good stuff!

Counterrevolution w/ Melinda Cooper Featuring Melinda Cooper on Counterrevolution: Extravagance and Austerity in Public Finance. Neoliberalism remade the American economy into an engine for the appreciation of assets stretching from the...

On the Dig, Melinda Cooper discusses her latest book, Counterrevolution: Extravagance and Austerity in Public Finance.

How to Lie with (Political) Statistics - Boston Review Inside the data wars over Democratic strategy.

In the Boston Review, Lily Hu discusses How to Lie with (Political) Statistics.

The Neoliberalization of Higher Education: Changes in State Funding and Governance Throughout the 20th Century - Roosevelt Institute In a new analysis, author Luke Herrine explores the shifting landscape of governance in public higher education. With the rise of neoliberal reforms, institutions are deprioritizing long-term planning, equity, and broad access due to funding models that prioritize short-term outcomes. Governance structures for higher education shape everything from enrollment demographics to course materials. When right-wing forces erode these structures, they don’t just cut budgets—they rewrite the rules of academic freedom and public accountability.

Over at the Roosevelt Institute, @lookheron.bsky.social has a new report on The Neoliberalization of Higher Education.

Cool organizing alert: Our friends at the @peoplesparity.bsky.social have released The Big Law Organizing Guide, which provides a roadmap of concrete steps for current and prospective lawyers and legal professionals who are grappling with questions about how to safeguard the rule of law.

Get Involved - Our Internship Program — Movement Law Lab Explore a rewarding internship journey in one of three dynamic program areas tailored to foster your professional growth. Our team at Movement Law Lab wants to work with eager students like you who ar...

Cool legal internship alert: our friends at the @movementlawlab.bsky.social are accepting applications for rising 3L summer interns, who will work alongside movement lawyers supporting grassroots movements fighting for dignity, justice, and liberation.

How NYC Became So Unequal Ever wonder why CUNY is no longer free? Confused why the subway fare keeps rising while service declines? Join LPE NYC on October 23 at 6:30pm for a conversation between Professors Gregory Louis and…

Cool event alert #2 (also for those in NYC): on October 23 at 6:30pm, please join @lpenyc.bsky.social for a conversation between Gregory Louis, Mason Williams, and Christy Thornton that examines how New York became so unequal and attempts to chart the history of the political economy of NYC.

Making NYC Affordable: Housing Please join LPE NYC for the first session in our series on what it really means to make NYC affordable, October 15, 6-8pm at New York Communities for Change (470 Vanderbilt Ave. Brooklyn, NY) This…

Cool NYC event alert: On Oct 15 at 6pm, please join @lpenyc.bsky.social for a talk on housing affordability: Why is it so hard to find affordable rent in New York? Why do the prices keep going up? Is “freeze the rent” a viable option? Feat. Cea Weaver, Gianpaolo Baiocchi, and Joanne Grell.

Weekly Roundup: Oct 3 Steffen Seitz on conspiracy law and social movements, Darryl Li on the weaponization of campus antisemitism investigations, and Erik Peinert on the staying power of the antimonopoly movement. Plus…

Week in review: Steffen Seitz on conspiracy law and social movements, Darryl Li on the weaponization of campus antisemitism investigations, and Erik Peinert on the staying power of the antimonopoly movement.

Plus, the best of LPE from around the web in the 🧵👇

this is as open an admission that an entire agency is engaging in routine constitutional violations that I can imagine