Teaching Public Opinion for the first time since 2012. Using the Clawson & Oxley book. Send all your ideas for the book, extra readings, assignments, etc. Self promotion welcome.

Good morning from the Oregon Coast

I’m at the mothership, Tillamook creamery, and sadly they have yet to restock.

Cc @alonsonichols.bsky.social

What was your favorite Zócalo essay of 2025? Read our staff picks and let us know which are missing. zps.la/essays25

Can’t decide which is more pitiful: sad drunk Santa Winthrop pulling a poach salmon out of his suit to eat on the bus or sad drunk Santa Winthrop standing on the street as the dog urinates on his leg. What say you?

I checked both of my generics. One checked out ok. The other…😬

New nightmare fuel

Hi!!! I'm in the process of working on my syllabus for a course focused on US parties/partisanship/polarization. If anyone's taught a similar course and is willing to share their syllabus, I'd really appreciate seeing how others have done this! Plugs for undergrad friendly papers also welcome (:

I’m hiring a predoctoral fellow for the 2026-2027 AY with possibility of a second year. This is a great position for someone interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or who wants more hands-on experience doing research. Please apply/share! Happy to answer questions! tobin.yale.edu/opportunitie...

Make it stop!!!

This one is a little too close to home…

I'm reminded of this excellent paper by @debbiejsr.bsky.social. If you define national identity as a bond of *blood* (e.g, race, ethnicity), you're on team Trump/Miller. But if you define nationalhood as a bond of *value*, you'll regard immigrants as deeply American. www.jstor.org/stable/3792322

Also check out my 2014 review of empirical work on how people think about American identity: www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

For more on this good take, see Rogers Smith: That is not who we are! yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

teaching opportunity at Tufts next semester in Environmental policy! apply.interfolio.com/178378

Nice write up in our student paper about my new book with @uchicagopress.bsky.social: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...

political scientists: any cites for research documenting if state and local govts in the US are more/less likely to have lopsided partisan control (secure majorities) than congress?

I contributed a book recommendation here (history of Kent State; felt timely). Lots of other good recs from our community: now.tufts.edu/2025/12/01/w...

teaching opportunity at Tufts next semester in Environmental policy! apply.interfolio.com/178378

Trying not to read too much into my Spotify top song: Falling Apart (Wilco)

Nice write up in our student paper about my new book with @uchicagopress.bsky.social: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...

MIght take a bit longer than planned for MA to get its new flag: www.bostonglobe.com/2025/11/29/m...

Today is the official publication day of "Everyday Democracy"! 🧵

‼️ Two weeks left to apply for the postdoc in Political Text Analysis in the MULTIREP project 👇.

political scientists: anyone know of research on affective polarization among the electorate at state and local levels of govt?

political scientists: anyone know of research on affective polarization among the electorate at state and local levels of govt?

The main thing that doesn’t surprise me anymore is how routinely I’m confronted with the limits of my imagination.

I have a few easter eggs on my office bookshelves to see if they ever spark conversation. Gifts from family members just for this purpose.

Northern lights from Medford, MA tonight. Photo by my son.

Northern lights from Medford, MA tonight. Photo by my son.

New article out at Publius: State Identities and Civic and Political Engagement in the United States academic.oup.com/publius/adva...

I still have a few copies for any interested early-career scholars. get in touch if you're interested.

New article out at Publius: State Identities and Civic and Political Engagement in the United States academic.oup.com/publius/adva...

Time to reshare this piece on the pitfalls of following the road Denmark has taken on immigration: ukandeu.ac.uk/denmarks-mig...

Hi, new followers. Hope you like seeing posts about state flags. now.tufts.edu/2025/10/22/w...

Yes

A story for the knitters

The book is real! To celebrate, I will give out five copies to interested early career folks. DM if you’d like one.

Also celebrating by settling in to learn more about James Garfield…

The book is real! To celebrate, I will give out five copies to interested early career folks. DM if you’d like one.

Politics titles at @princetonupress.bsky.social are 30% off with code P330 until 2/28, my almost-old-enough-to-drink book included: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...

It sold out in 2 minutes: www.bhg.com/tillamook-bu...

Dear @raygunsite.com please make a limited run of POLLING IS NOT A CRIME shirts (with St. Ann's face or not) please and thank you

A couple of my books might be there, and if they did this the damages increase A LOT per book to $150,000.

Shout out to our student paper, the only outlet where I can find results of our municipal election.

Truth

apparently these are only available online. if anyone out there is thinking of sending me a gift to celebrate my book coming out... (not that I expect to *like* these flavors...but I would definitely try them)

yup there's a few like www.cambridge.org/core/journal... for the US or www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10.... for European