Ouch! Feeling kind of old as one of that “earlier generation” that engaged in “shopworn” debates :) Great review of important recent work on qualitative methods! I would add Fairfield and Charman on formal Bayesian process tracing as one of the key recent contributions.

Check out my review of some exciting new books in qualitative methods!

Today's conundrum: "The proper concepts are needed to formulate a good theory, but we need a good theory to arrive at the proper concepts." - Abraham Kaplan, Conduct of Inquiry.

Are you interested in the study of religion but tired of reading about Christianity? Boy do I have the article for you! Now under review. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

I hope one day the Wilson Center, where I worked last summer, will be back but I fear it will not. thehill.com/opinion/inte...

🧵 Today's revocation of Harvard's ability to enroll international is awful for many reasons, chief among them the human cost as @jeremywallace.bsky.social notes. It's also an attack on the US economy. But maybe less obvious: it is terrible national security policy. It makes Americans less safe. 1/

Just reposting this, for no reason at all

Some good news for secularism in America: www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...

Truly an incredible post. Calling on economists, political scientists and sociologists working on corruption to please share your favourite corruption papers so we can help the NYT get up to speed on concepts and measurements in this field.

Was trying to do one of those revelatory "Failure CVs" but it basically just looked like my actual CV, I don't understand this exercise?

Happy May Day!

Happy to announce that the Fulbright Program still exists, and that I won a Fulbright Flex to travel to India for fieldwork over the next several years. The program is open for next year too, so think about applying!

One piece of advice about my research pipeline that I've always been given is: have multiple irons in the fire. But I really work best doing one thing at a time, often for weeks or months at a time. So maybe this advice isn't for everyone.

Happy first birthday to my article submission to [will potentially reveal journal name in the future to shame them]! A whole year, my baby is growing up.

New seminar this fall:

I'm not using social media much these days but I'm breaking the hiatus to say RIP David Lynch, one of my favorite directors. A true visionary, there was no one else like him.

Our department at Scripps College in California is hiring a tenure-track position in global politics, review starting this fall. Open to those who are more cross-disciplinary in their work, and to PhDs in adjacent disciplines. Please circulate! #polisky www.scrippscollege.edu/hr/faculty/t...

New paper on how to conceptualize and measure Hindu religiosity, been working on this one for several years. Feedback welcome! papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Revised and resubmitted -- an updated version of my paper on studying history like an experiment: "Randomized Controlled History?" papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Trying to thread that needle of raising my daughters to question male authority -- except for me, right now.

Solo parenting an almost-one year old tonight, thinking of watching Rosemary's Baby with her. Good idea?

I know I'm supposed to be scared of AI, but when my phone has no autocorrect suggestions for the mysterious word "Frday," I feel a bit better.

[During a timeout] Four-year old: "Do you still love me?" Me: "Yes, even when I give you a timeout I still love you." Four-year old: "And even when I punch you, I still love you."

Stunned to learn that "two-way fixed effects" is not a band but some kind of regression thingie.

Masks are off in Miami-Dade. Masks are in the trash can. There are no more masks.

Election forecasters 15 years ago: "Punditry is stupid. We need data-driven scientific analysis!" Election forecasters now: "Our model shows it will be either a slim GOP victory or a slim Dem victory, but a Dem blowout is also possible. My vibes tell me..."

Happy pitchers and catchers report day!

Coming to the capital this summer (with significantly more gray hair). Where my DC peeps?

NYT headline. Amplified by whom I wonder?

Seems kinda risky to constantly attack someone's age, but thankfully in America old people don't vote.

When your kids are arguing, I'm not sure the best strategy is to have them just hug it out. That doesn't get at the root of the issue, and treats both sides equally when that may not be the case. That's why I always ask my daughters, "Which one of you is legally at fault here?"

Me, as methodologist: "These methods are complex, overused, and we can't know what we claim to know by using them." Me, as substantive political scientist: "Here are some big conclusions using cutting-edge methods!"

The day after I got tenure: "That's it...I can do it now, I'm free, I'm free. F*** causal inference, henceforth, I shall describe things!!!"

Colleague: "Can you read a working paper of mine?" Me: "What's it called?" Colleague: "It's called 'Whither...'" Me: "I'm busy."

New working paper alert -- some concerns about treating history like an experiment, including in my own work. t.co/qi1gSM6yXj

I wrote for Newsweek about my experience miscarrying in Texas after Dobbs. Democratic erosion and authoritarianism aren’t abstractions happening elsewhere—my story & that of countless other women are reminders that they happen every day in Texas & in other states. Polisky Gendersky Academicsky

Four-year old's favorite characters by movie: Lion King -- Scar Mulan -- Shan Yu Aladdin - Jafar Star Wars - Darth Vader Do you see any worrying pattern here?

🚨Check out our new American Political Science Review article (authored w/Nadia Brown & Janelle Wong). We assess political science department statements issued after the killing of George Floyd & describe their limited understanding of racism & commitments to action. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

New working paper alert -- some concerns about treating history like an experiment, including in my own work. t.co/qi1gSM6yXj

How January is going in Middlebury

JOBS! 2-year Postdoc in Public Policy @ColbyCollege, based in the Sociology Department. Open to any area of policy specialization or social science discipline. Applications due February 12. I'm happy to answer any questions. Please help us spread the word! apply.interfolio.com/137995

Reupping a post that got lost in the holidays: The South Asian politics section of APSA now has prizes for best book and best article on South Asia. Please nominate work you admire (even your own).

A reminder today that no one—not even those at elite privates—are safe from extreme right wing attempts to remake universities in their image. And for those of us who dare to engage in public facing work, the risks of doing so have rarely been higher. The msg: “Cross us and we will come for you.”

Thus far, surprisingly having all the same problems in 2024 that I had in 2023

The main reason I went into academia was that I could be in my 40s and people would say, "Oh you're a young professor."

Four-year old went to her room to "do research." She's done nothing except lay in her bed as far I can tell, so yes, now she is a true researcher.

Got a top journal reject for having a small sample size (914) for a survey. Merry Xmas!

He's the reason for the season