📢 New Paper Alert! Happy to share that our article “Following the Free Officers: Explaining the Politics of Coup Contagion & Containment” — co-authored with @drpowell.bsky.social — is forthcoming in International Studies Review. Are coups actually contagious, and if so, how? 🧵 below (1/)

📢 New Paper Alert! Happy to share that our article “Following the Free Officers: Explaining the Politics of Coup Contagion & Containment” — co-authored with @drpowell.bsky.social — is forthcoming in International Studies Review. Are coups actually contagious, and if so, how? 🧵 below (1/)

Had the pleasure to join the good folks over at the Centre for African Conflict & Development to offer my perspective on the Madagascar coup and other related developments in their latest podcast episode. open.spotify.com/episode/18ea...

Protestors in Madagascar are now confronting the reality that the military—once an ally to their cause—now holds the reins of power.

Happy to share my latest piece at Foreign Policy w/ @drpowell.bsky.social. Madagascar’s recent coup reflects a wider “coupvolution” trend - civilians help topple leaders, only to be sidelined once the military takes over. Here's what they can do. foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/06/m...

Happy to share my latest piece at Foreign Policy w/ @drpowell.bsky.social. Madagascar’s recent coup reflects a wider “coupvolution” trend - civilians help topple leaders, only to be sidelined once the military takes over. Here's what they can do. foreignpolicy.com/2025/11/06/m...

As we see a rise in coups across Africa, Salah Ben Hammou (@salahbhpolisci.bsky.social) and Jonathan Powell (@drpowell.bsky.social) have been making significant contributions to conversations about coups around the world, including in AF&S! Find their articles here: journals.sagepub.com/home/afs

Sharing my new article co-authored with @drpowell.bsky.social over at The Conversation on the coup in Madagascar. We explore what happens when regional organizations preach democracy but protect incumbents. This disconnect fuels instability and public distrust. theconversation.com/madagascar-c...

Madagascar appears to be following the pattern seen in other recent post-coup states, where the military chooses to retain power rather than hand it over to civilian authorities: www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/10...

Guess it’s safe to share now: I’ve recently relocated to Abu Dhabi, UAE, in light of the rollbacks on DACA and increased targeting of its recipients in the U.S. Grateful to Rice University & the Baker Institute for making it possible to continue my postdoc. Open to any resources from folks here

Guess it’s safe to share now: I’ve recently relocated to Abu Dhabi, UAE, in light of the rollbacks on DACA and increased targeting of its recipients in the U.S. Grateful to Rice University & the Baker Institute for making it possible to continue my postdoc. Open to any resources from folks here

Sharing my latest with @foreignpolicy.com - it isn't just the seizure of power that spreads during coup contagion. Strategies to consolidate power do, too. foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/09/c...

Sharing my latest with @foreignpolicy.com - it isn't just the seizure of power that spreads during coup contagion. Strategies to consolidate power do, too. foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/09/c...

ICYMI

Sharing my latest w/ the Conversation @africa.theconversation.com theconversation.com/coups-in-wes...

Sharing my latest w/ the Conversation @africa.theconversation.com theconversation.com/coups-in-wes...

Don’t have much in me to give a thorough analysis of the recent developments, so I’ll leave you with this: this shit is bad and will likely worsen. That is all.

I remember when I started grad school I had no idea what a postdoc was or how to get one. We have an all-star line up including @salahbhpolisci.bsky.social, @erincikanek.bsky.social, Leann Mclaren, and Sherry Zaks with myself and India Lenear moderating!

Universities transformed into torture chambers in Khartoum. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Conditional acceptances used to mean something to journals (usually a quick response time but here we are)

Feel like you know nothing about Sudan? I sat down with the team at Prospect Magazine to talk about the conflict, and why it’s NOT a forgotten war, but an invisibilised one: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/podcasts/pro...

highly highly recommend this piece by @edebruin.bsky.social & @hsulli.bsky.social. really great breakdown and a thoughtful discussion on the dangers of civilian coup conspirators

If you're just learning about the Bolsonaro news, I strongly recommend reading @hsulli.bsky.social & @edebruin.bsky.social's piece in @goodauth.bsky.social that details the steps Bolsonaro and his allies took to prepare for losing the 2022 presidential election. goodauthority.org/news/brazil-...

When one of the greatest minds to think on democracy acknowledges that neither historical precedent or statistical evidence is helpful in understanding what we're seeing unfold, you know we're in a dire state. This is a must-read.

If you’re going to follow one political scientist’s Substack, it should be Adam Przeworski’s.

ICYMI, wrote on mutual aid networks amid Sudan's civil war w/ Kelsey Norman for Foreign Policy last week.

Sharing my latest with Kelsey Norman over at Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com. Here, we discuss how mutual aid networks in Sudan offer an alternative model of aid distribution in armed conflict. foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/07/s...

Sharing my latest with Kelsey Norman over at Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com. Here, we discuss how mutual aid networks in Sudan offer an alternative model of aid distribution in armed conflict. foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/07/s...

MAGA loves coups, not cops (new slogan, Democrats, call me)

Quick insights on the coup/not a coup discourse from a coup scholar (me?): 1) from an academic perspective, the actions in question are not a coup for reasons I can discuss below 2) not calling it a coup doesn't make it less bad 3) you can colloquially call it a coup - people do all the time

How do autocrats stay in power? Our new research dives into the strategies of political control—repression, co-optation, and indoctrination—used across 229 autocracies from 1946 to 2010. What we found will change the way you think about authoritarian resilience. 🧵👇

When I tell you that giving the RSF complete control of Darfur would be one of the worst fucking mistakes in recent memory, I am not exaggerating in the slightest. www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/...

I will write about this day in my memoirs

Highly recommend the paper to everyone and anyone interested in political transitions & authoritarian politics

I need more information on what all is meant by security forces, but the issue of a post-war factionalized military is looking more and more relevant in Syria. www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...

Four years ago, I wrote about potential challenges to rebuilding civil-military relations (CMR) in a post-war & post-Assad Syria. Back then, this was almost a non-conversation. Now, not so much. #dictatorsky Brief thread below on some of the main takeaways. 1/ www.tawazun.net/english/blog...

Four years ago, I wrote about potential challenges to rebuilding civil-military relations (CMR) in a post-war & post-Assad Syria. Back then, this was almost a non-conversation. Now, not so much. #dictatorsky Brief thread below on some of the main takeaways. 1/ www.tawazun.net/english/blog...

I finished my honours thesis today 🥳 #Academicsky

Y’all didn’t even give Syria 3 days to breathe before asking “can Muslims even have democracy??” Go read about Indonesia and stfu

I spoke to NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) about recent revelations on Brazil's coup plot from 2022, which sought to nullify the country's elections, retain Bolsonaro, and kill President Lula da Silva. #civmilsky #dictatorsky #polisky radio.nrk.no/serie/urix-p...

Yes, yes, everyone knows that the morning after will be difficult and tumultuous and all the various things associated with dislodging an authoritarian regime. But watching one of the world’s most repressive dictatorships come to an end is worth celebrating

Sudanese timeline celebrating with #Syria and praying victory follows in #Sudan #KeepEyesOnSudan

Yes, yes, everyone knows that the morning after will be difficult and tumultuous and all the various things associated with dislodging an authoritarian regime. But watching one of the world’s most repressive dictatorships come to an end is worth celebrating

People in Syria have been tearing down statues all night; continue to celebrate the collapse of the Assad regime, it is expected that the regime will cease to exist today. Tanks (unknown who) are starting to circle around Assad's palace and regime soldiers are abandoning their posts. #freeSyria

Fuck Assad. That is all

Just received proofs for our article "Out-Competing Rivals: Armed Group Governance and Civilian Attitudes in Colombia," forthcoming at @apsrjournal.bsky.social (w/ @edebruin.bsky.social @gabriellalevy2.bsky.social and Livia Schubiger). I'll post a thread here in the coming days!

In light of the martial war declaration in South Korea, here are some people you should follow for informed analyses & news about the developing situation. Koreanists: go.bsky.app/U3Nm5FX Korea watchers: go.bsky.app/9SrguSU Korean studies scholars: go.bsky.app/8nRZ5tp + @koreajoongangdaily.com

🚨Pleased to share my latest article, co-authored with @drpowell.bsky.social, over at The Conversation. We unpack a concerning trend among Africa's recent military coups. The norm against military rule is dying - armies are clinching to power. 🧵below. 1/ theconversation.com/gabons-coup-...