Neat new APSR paper by my Vanderbilt colleague Alan Wiseman along with Volden, Treul, and Thomsen: "Legislative Effectiveness, Progressive Ambition, and Electoral Success." www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

I think readers interested in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and US policy toward the region will want to stick around to the end of this conversation with Asfandyar Mir.

Wrote about political scientists' favorite "Well, actually..." It's our favorite for a reason. With data from New Jersey's recent election. goodauthority.org/news/good-to...

Excited to share that Cindy Kam’s and my article is published online! We examine item refusal pre- and post-Dobbs and find a significant increase in women’s refusal to disclose their pregnancy status after the decision, with concerning implications for research, policy, and women’s health.

Women in Congress are wealthier than men in Congress. A new article looks at nearly 40 years of financial disclosures from members of Congress. See the data in the latest article from @johnsides.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/women-i...

Fewer people think the American dream is alive – but they disagree on why. A new book argues that politics influences how we explain inequality. Read the latest from @johnsides.bsky.social: goodauthority.org/news/fewer-p...

Interesting AmericasBarometer result from @johnsides.bsky.social in this week's @goodauth.bsky.social newsletter. Strong public willingness to trade features of democracy (free elections, free expression) for material and physical security, with some party differences. mailchi.mp/goodauthorit...

Here's the post on Good Authority! Thanks @goodauth.bsky.social @johnsides.bsky.social & Vanessa Lide! goodauthority.org/news/was-the...

📣📣📣Announcing...Chalkboard Politics @chalkboardpolitics.bsky.social, a podcast by students, for students (and their teachers). Written, edited, and mixed by the students at @siwpscolumbia.bsky.social and distributed by @goodauth.bsky.social. 1/ www.podbean.com/media/share/...

Happy to listen and learn from Brian Greenhill on Trump's withdrawal from dozens of international organizations last week, @goodauth.bsky.social . Part of what Brian calls the liberal international order's "moment of crisis." goodauthority.org/news/trump-p...

The admin is proposing indefinite control of Venezuelan oil, but evidence suggests that Venezuelan cooperation will only extend as far as it‘s coerced - and can’t extend past what the crumbing infrastructure can generate. Meanwhile ordinary Venezuelans continue to suffer. @goodauth.bsky.social

The Vanderbilt Dept of Political Science is looking for two post-doctoral scholars in national security for 2026-27. Please apply or encourage others to apply! apply.interfolio.com/179844

I’ve learned much from @jeffcolgan.bsky.social over the years and his take on Trump’s Venezuela antics is well worth reading. goodauthority.org/news/trump-m...

Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address. First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it. 1/

"And with that, the 2025 season comes to an end..." Here are Good Authority's top 10 articles of the year. goodauthority.org/news/good-au... A super thread 🧵

My latest for @goodauth.bsky.social goodauthority.org/news/what-we...

If you are a member of @apsa.bsky.social, please consider putting forward a nominee for the annual Carey McWilliams Award. This year, I am serving on the committee with Dr. @johnsides.bsky.social and Dr. Erika Franklin Fowler. Past award winners include @jamellebouie.net (2025). More info below.

This is a bad survey question that likely exaggerates any Holocaust skepticism. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... www.jstor.org/stable/26952...

I'm chairing the APSA Carey McWilliams Prize Committee. This prize goes to someone who has made "a major journalistic contribution to our understanding of politics." More information is here: apsanet.org/programs/aps... We would be grateful for people to submit nominations!

The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions is now acceptable applications for the 2026-27 year. Please share and encourage people to apply! Post Doctoral application apply.interfolio.com/177609 Visiting Scholar application apply.interfolio.com/177613

us12.campaign-archive.com?u=6a195a173a... this by @johnsides.bsky.social at @goodauth.bsky.social seems exactly right to me.

Have our personal networks become more politically segregated? New research looks at the consequences for political participation and political tolerance. @johnsides.bsky.social breaks down the data here: goodauthority.org/news/have-ou...

Under Biden, there was no thermostatic shift in public opinion about the size of government. The public stayed relatively liberal. Take attitudes toward the government's role in health care:

Imagine asking people two questions -- whether each of these is a good or bad way to run a govt: 1) having a democratic political system 2) having a strong leader who does not have to bother with parliament and elections What percent says *both* are good? 44%!

Three new publications from Vanderbilt political science faculty! First up, Diana Lee and @yamilrvelez.bsky.social, "Measuring Descriptive Representation at Scale: Methods for Predicting the Race and Ethnicity of Public Officials." www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

thermostat go click-click-click

Just like in his 1st term, Trump is going to hover around 40% approval. As @johnsides.bsky.social et al point out in their 2020 election book, Trump always sides with his base rather than choose policies with broader appeal. When you only aim to satisfy 40% of the population, you get 40% approval.

Some more great new research from Vandy polisci faculty! Peter Schram in International Organization, "Conflicts that Leave Something to Chance." www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

The popularity of ICE is plunging. goodauthority.org/news/america...

I worked with E.J. for many years and highly recommend her for any academic looking to polish their writing and reach a larger audience!

For @goodauth.bsky.social, I updated the affective polarization trend using the newly released 2024 ANES. Here's the graph. A few important points...

And while I'm at it, a THIRD piece in the AJPS from Vanderbilt polisci faculty came out yesterday -- this one by my colleagues @BradSmithUNC and Peter Bils: "The Logic of Secret Alliances" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Somehow I neglected to mention a SIXTH APSR by Vanderbilt polisci faculty. This one, by Jorge Mangonnet et al., is now out and formally forthcoming in 2026! "Family Ties, Social Control, and Authoritarian Distribution to Elites" www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

There’s so much interesting research coming from Vanderbilt political science faculty. As dept chair, it is a pleasure to highlight a bunch of it. First, up, @trounstine.bsky.social and Sarah Anzia in the @apsrjournal.bsky.social on civil service adoption: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Congress was hiding in plain sight 🤓. Join me & @johnsides.bsky.social for Episode 2 of @goodauth.bsky.social's Where's Congress? We consider the big (yes), beautiful (eye of beholder) bill House GOP are trying to pass thru House --Senate GOP views be damned (for now) www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...

In the latest episode of "Where's Congress?" for @goodauth.bsky.social, @sarahbinder.bsky.social and I discuss the Big Beautiful Bill (TM). Learn what's different about this bill and the politics that are complicating is bigness and beauty. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvfR...

Americans are more pro-choice than people think. Two studies show that both elected leaders and voters overestimate Americans' conservatism on abortion. New from me @goodauth.bsky.social. goodauthority.org/news/the-chr...

This, by @tesler.bsky.social, is looking more prescient everyday. goodauthority.org/news/why-dem...

Shifts to Trump from 2020-24 are not just a story about the youngest voters or about the youngest men. They are a story about shifts among *men and women* who are *under 40*. 1,000 takes on the youngest men. Virtually zero on everyone else.

What tools do Democrats have to do anything in Congress? The full episode with @johnsides.bsky.social and @sarahbinder.bsky.social is out now on our Substack: open.substack.com/pub/goodauth...

We're live with "Where's Congress?" 🤓🤓 Got topics or questions you'd like me and @johnsides.bsky.social to tackle in future @goodauth.bsky.social episodes? Send them along!

So @sarahbinder.bsky.social and I inaugurated a new regular feature for @goodauth.bsky.social: "Where's Congress?" We talk about why a once-strong Congress became a flabby weak mess. The highlights of this week's episode are... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byct...

Trump is saying trade is bad, but increasingly Americans think trade is good. It happened in his first term. It's happening again. Meet your thermostatic public! goodauthority.org/news/trade-p...

Did naturalized citizens support Trump in 2024? Two major surveys say that they did not. AP Votecast: Harris 54% - Trump 43% CES (released today): Harris 54% - Trump 43% This is a hard group to survey and no estimate is canonical. But these estimates deserve attention too.

A new report on legislative effectiveness by my colleague Alan Wiseman and Craig Volden confirms, once again, that Eleanor Holmes Norton is the GOAT. Vandy story: news.vanderbilt.edu/2025/03/27/l... Report: thelawmakers.org/wp-content/upl

Yikes

Big deal—after correcting, it turns out that moderate candidates do not perform better than extreme candidates in general elections. Kudos to Andy, Dan, and Adam for updating a key question in political science

From @johnsides.bsky.social and @tesler.bsky.social and Colette Marcellin in NYT Opinion.

I have an op-ed in the WPost w/ Nick Stephanopoulos & Eric McGhee on the evaporation of the U.S. House's pro Republican bias in the 2020s. The reasons seem to be fewer Rep. gerrymanders, more Dem. gerrymanders, and a shift in the country's political geography. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/int...