Magyar's defeat of Orban in Hungary today illustrates perfectly the concept I describe here: repolarize to depolarize. Shifting the line of conflict from L-R or Urban-Rural to Nation vs Oligarchs was a winning move, and lesson for U.S. Repolarize to Depolarize open.substack.com/pub/betterco...

🆕Since 1990, only 1 country has successfully sustained a democratic recovery after backsliding. @jennifermccoy.bsky.social and @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social find democracy defenders and the public are often divided over threat, timing, and tactics. Read their article @carnegieendowment.org ⤵️

One way to renew American democracy. My article for @us.theconversation.com building on the recent task force report of the Academy of Arts and Sciences on the benefits of shifting from winner-take-all elections to proportional representation (PR). theconversation.com/proportional...

“Including more Venezuelan voices [...] will increase the credibility and legitimacy of the economic and political reforms for the entire population,” @jennifermccoy.bsky.social writes. What role should the U.S. play in the process? Full article here: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

🆕To move Venezuela toward power sharing and real democracy, immediate steps are necessary: 👉Release political prisoners 👉Repeal laws restricting dissent 👉Deauthorize colectivos @jennifermccoy.bsky.social outlines the process and roadblocks for @carnegieendowment.org

#7 U.S. democracy is under attack. Here are some lessons for democracy’s defenders. @jennifermccoy.bsky.social and her co-authors explained how “democratic backsliding” occurs and offered six key lessons for how to defend democracy in the face of threats. goodauthority.org/news/us-demo...

To strengthen democracy, collaborations must stretch beyond party lines. On Monday, Dec 1 from 12-1:15ET, we are cohosting a virtual event with the National Democratic Institute on big tent coalitions, featuring @jennifermccoy.bsky.social ! Register here:

Why is it so hard to build a movement to defend democracy? In a new talk for @scholars.org, @jennifermccoy.bsky.social suggests some comparative answers. She then identifies problems specific to the U.S., and suggests some solutions. Watch here🔽 www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKZw...

Join Georgia SSN for the first webinar in their "Defending U.S. Democracy" webinar series with @jennifermccoy.bsky.social, moderated by @bernardtamas.bsky.social! 📅 Tues, Oct. 14 🕓 4pm - 5:15pm 🔗 Register for the event now: scholars.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/d...

Depolarization might not mean erasing divides, but “repolarizing” around shared values like democracy, fairness, or anti-corruption. @jennifermccoy.bsky.social explains in a NEW episode of the Better Conflict Bulletin podcast with @jonathanstray.bsky.social 👂📖⤵️

And just in case you are ONLY paying attention to Marines being send to LA, here's some crucial news that should not hide under the radar.

Now add 500 Marines called to LA. This is common escalation of protests worldwide. They may start with a specific grievance like transport price hikes (or immigrant raid here), but if security overreaches, more people come out. Large, peaceful during day; small groups more violent at night. 1/2

My new piece with @beattyriedl.bsky.social .

Contents: ▪️ Types of Democratic Resilience by Rachel Beatty Riedl (@beattyriedl.bsky.social), Jennifer McCoy (@jennifermccoy.bsky.social), Kenneth Roberts, Paul Friesen - ▪️ From Electoral U-turns to Re-democratisation by Nic Cheeseman (@fromagehomme.bsky.social), Licia Cianetti

🆕| A New Dynamic of Democratic Resilience? Read the new @europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu publication with commentaries from @jennifermccoy.bsky.social, Thomas Carothers, & McKenzie Carrier (ed. @richardyoungs.bsky.social)👇

What we're reading: A global study of democratic backsliding & resilience offers ways to resist authoritarian attacks, from @jennifermccoy.bsky.social, @beattyriedl.bsky.social, Kenneth Roberts, and @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social in @goodauth.bsky.social goodauthority.org/news/us-demo...

The world today provides important lessons for how to identify and resist autocrats. In their piece for @goodauth.bsky.social, @jennifermccoy.bsky.social @beattyriedl.bsky.social Kenneth Roberts & @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social highlight six key lessons on how to counter threats to democracy👇

What can the U.S. learn from other countries living through threats to democracy? Lessons from our global research and 15 case studies distilled in my new commentary with @beattyriedl.bsky.social Ken Roberts, and @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social include: (1/3) goodauthority.org/news/us-demo...

New op-ed out @goodauth.bsky.social based on our global research w Ken Roberts, @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social @jennifermccoy.bsky.social Timely lessons re pressure on institutions and nature of pro-democracy coalitions goodauthority.org/news/us-demo...

🔔Out now!🔔 "Democratic Backsliding: How It Happens and How It Can Be Countered," ed. by @jennifermccoy.bsky.social @beattyriedl.bsky.social @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social & Kenneth Roberts, with articles from @carnegieendowment.org's Thomas Carothers and @milanv.bsky.social. Read the issue here!👇

When Bullies Strike open.substack.com/pub/jlmccoy/...

New volume out on Democratic Backsliding and Recovery, edited by @beattyriedl.bsky.social , @muratsomer-eng.bsky.social , Ken Roberts and me. 15 case studies including countries with current massive protests against autocrats - Hungary, Serbia and Turkey. www.aapss.org/annals/volum...

When you erase the history of the code talkers, you are erasing the history of the Second World War. www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...

A civilian coup is in full progress in Turkey. Unless EU acts swiftly and decisively, they will not only be complicit but will also endanger Europe's own long-term security. An autocratic Turkey with transactional relations with EU cannot reliably contribute to European security +

Autocrats emboldened everywhere. Today it is Turkey.

To Lainey Gossip writer Stephanie Hinds, the breakups tracked with what Carnegie’s @jennifermccoy.bsky.social labeled “chronically pernicious” polarization in the U.S. Read the article: www.laineygossip.com/core-values-...

I really enjoyed speaking at this conference with the wonderful co-speakers and participants!

drive.google.com/file/d/1lGk2... Over 600 political scientists highlight threats to the basic design of American government and democracy. "President Trump won the November 2024 election fairly... But his victory does not grant him the right to overturn our constitutional and legal order by fiat."

An admirer of Orban recommends the Orbanist strategy: Maximum culture war against minorities on the inside; minimal resistance to Putin -- some would reasonably say: de facto collusion with Putin -- on the outside.

This was a very helpful explanation not appearing in legacy media. Substack analyses seem much more informative but also hard to vet. Who do you find necessary reading now in these times? Despite media reports, Trump has not offered federal employees a "buyout" popular.info/p/despite-me...

An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government. DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions. DOGE has no authority to shut programs down or to ignore federal law. DOGE’s conduct cannot be allowed to stand.

This is so alarming, and dangerous for federal employees. Who has standing to stop this takeover by a non-existent federal "department" and an unconfirmed (by the Senate) person and his private staffers? slate.com/news-and-pol...

Elon Musk and his team of government arsonists are threatening everything from payments to our troops to Medicare & Social Security benefits. I hope my colleagues come together and support my commonsense amendment to limit Musk’s access and safeguard our financial infrastructure.

Judge AliKhan is not buying the Trump administration's claims about the OMB memo being rescinded even one bit. "Destroying the paper trail of allegedly illegal activity means nothing if the activity persists."

Daniel Ortega has now officially turned into Anastasio Somoza, the last of the family dictatorship ruling Nicaragua from 1936-1979 and against whom Ortega fought a revolutionary insurgency. Tragic ending for himself, but most especially the country. f24.my/Auf1

Reposting my article about Jimmy Carter from 2023 when he went into hospice. He was a rare man of public service for the common good even at political cost to him, and believed every human had some element of good in them. A moral compass we so rarely see today. theconversation.com/i-assisted-c...

The scholars for electoral reform write:

Democracy in danger, new paper from @littvay.bsky.social @jennifermccoy.bsky.social: It’s Not Just Trump: Americans of Both Parties Support Liberal Democratic Norm Violations More Under Their Own President academic.oup.com/poq/advance-...

this is an important development and a sign of hope in dark times -> www.notus.org/congress/blu...

See the series of interesting conversations by Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation on polarization, political violence and democracy. Mine is just the latest.. www.hfg.org/conversation...

Today, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez proposed a new task for to look at electoral reforms which could break up the two party system in Congress, expand the number of House districts, and move the House to a form of proportional representation. It's a very, very good idea.

Join us for this cross-Atlantic panel discussion, Nov 14, 9:00 am - 11:11 am Eastern Time www.populismstudies.org/ecps-panel-w...

Now the election is over I am going to be more present here and not X. Starting with this piece: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

I am thrilled to announce that I have been named a 2024 Andrew Carnegie Fellow! This fellowship will support my project with @mevans2001.bsky.social, “Mitigating Pernicious Polarization through Innovative Civic Educational Interventions."  #CarnegieFellows carnegie.io/3JLtUV8

Someone spicy was given the WH Twitter account.

A short piece of research I did with Ben Feldman at Carnegie Endowment showing that united opposition electoral coalitions have the best chance to defeat backsliding incumbents. But they often wait until it's too late. carnegieendowment.org/2024/03/27/b...

Call for proposals for Depolarization Workshop in Budapest, June 2024. Join Andreas Schedler, Murat Somer and me in Budapest! Deadline for proposals Jan 15, 2024. Link is here: democracyinstitute.ceu.edu/articles/cal...