Andrew Rudalevige
banner
rudalev.bsky.social
Andrew Rudalevige
@rudalev.bsky.social

Bowdoin College professor of political science; affiliated with UCL's Centre on US Politics and UVa's Miller Center. Feed includes posts on presidential power, bureaucratic politics, and carping about Boston sports and European football .. more

Political science 77%
Economics 9%

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

On the left, Trump's Nov. 20 post. On the right, the White House's description of the "offense" that CBS News, The Boston Globe, and The Independent alleged committed by reporting on it.

The developer is a little better armed in this iteration, unfortunately. But if you can guarantee no Kenny Loggins on the soundtrack, I'm in.
I know you already know, but for other folks who don't, Goldsmith was previously head of OLC, is a genuinely brilliant mind on executive authority and separation of powers, and is usually very cautious about making claims this unqualified and direct. That he is saying it so starkly is v significant

Worth telling your social media team that “wasn’t clear” is not required when something is in fact absolutely clear.

Reposted by David R. Miller

"If this Nation is to remain true to the ideals symbolized by its flag, it must not wield the tools of tyrants even to resist an assault by the forces of tyranny." (Justice John Paul Stevens, 2004)
Sarah Beckstrom's ex-boyfriend told NBC News she dreamed of becoming an FBI special agent.

She didn't want to deploy to D.C.

"She hated it. She cried about it."

But she started visiting monuments and museums and started enjoying it.

May she rest in peace.

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
National Guard member killed in D.C. shooting remembered for 'heart of gold'
The slain soldier’s former boyfriend recalled her empathy and generosity. “She doesn’t even have to know you and she’ll do anything for you,” he said.
www.nbcnews.com
Trump entered the Mar-a-Lago ballroom for his Thanksgiving feast to the song “We Are the World,” a song used to raise money to help starving children.

Trump himself has cut aid to address global famine and has fought for the right to cut food stamps from American families.

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

Still working on that US politics paper? You're in luck!
Our conference deadline is extended to Dec 10
📍 Norwich, Jan 7-9
🎤 Angelia Wilson keynote
🏆 De Gruyter prize (PGR/ECR)
From elections to institutions to foreign policy – all topics are welcome.
Details: ukpsaapg.co.uk/annual-conference/
Annual Conference
52nd annual conference of the American Politics Group: 7th – 9th January 2026, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. Photo by Idean Azad on Pexels.com Dates of Event: 7th – 9th January 2026 Booki…
ukpsaapg.co.uk
WSJ:
"Some will say this means U.S. should never admit such refugees, but the alternative is abandoning allies who assist USA in war to retribution of our enemies..How many will assist us if they believe there will be no exit for them if U.S. leaves"
www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...
Opinion | The Ambush on the National Guard
The alleged shooting by an Afghan ‘partner’ shouldn’t condemn all who assisted the U.S. and now live here.
www.wsj.com
How Republicans commemorated Thanksgiving in 1869--with a multi-racial/multi-ethnic gathering of people at a table with a centerpiece celebrating universal suffrage and self-government, and with an engraving of Castle Garden, the pre-Ellis Island point of disembarkation for immigrants.

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

Nothing says happy Thanksgiving like seeing Shaggy sing “It Wasn’t Me” from atop a huge turkey.
“We most humbly beseech him to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed.”

— Washington, First Thanksgiving Proclamation

www.mountvernon.org/education/pr...
Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation. Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits...
www.mountvernon.org

Small suggestion - not co-equal, but superior. Article I for a reason! Congress can fire the president - the president can't fire Congress. (Only Congress can do that to itself - sadly, it has.)

Reposted by David R. Miller

No time to read the transcripts of his special envoy selling him (and Ukraine) out to the Russians, but plenty of time for extra meetings on the golden ballroom... I guess Ms Leavitt did tell us that was his top priority.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
Trump wants a bigger White House ballroom. His architect disagrees.
The president and James McCrery had argued in recent weeks over the project’s size, with Trump pushing him to expand the ballroom.
www.washingtonpost.com
This reporter will get vile death threats and may need security just for doing her job. Not acceptable.

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

careers.insidehighered.com/job/3430267/... Come be my boss as director of the SNF Agora Institute. It is a great place, and a big opportunity to reshape debate.
Director, The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Agora Institute - Baltimore, Maryland (US) job with Johns Hopkins University | 3430267
Johns Hopkins University seeks the next director of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute, an effort to address the deterioration o...
careers.insidehighered.com

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

Analysis | Zelensky must convince Trump to give him a better deal to end the war. He should at long last open an investigation into Hunter Biden.

In which case Ms. Leavitt should agree with those who remind the Pentagon about its responsibility to the law?
Leavitt: "Not a single order this president or administration has given to our military has ever been illegal, nor will it ever be. This administration respects and abides by the law."
Leavitt: "Not a single order this president or administration has given to our military has ever been illegal, nor will it ever be. This administration respects and abides by the law."
If every order the President has given is legal, why is the Department of Defense (sorry, no Dept of War since 1947) so worked up about a member of Congress stating a truism?
latest sham investigation just dropped
latest sham investigation just dropped
The Trump administration inherited an economy that the Economist called "the envy of the world" in a cover story a week before the election and easily could've coasted on that success (again) but instead they set it on fire.

The administration's new (though not surprising) invention of a newly extended "unitary executive" logic to wipe out most civil service protections.

www.govexec.com/workforce/20...
Final Schedule F regulations to describe civil service protections as ‘unconstitutional overcorrections’
OPM officials told agency HR leaders Tuesday that President Trump has Article II constitutional authority to remove tens of thousands of career federal workers in jobs over potential “resistance to po...
www.govexec.com

In light of the claim that civil service protections are unconstitutional or even just problematic to the presidency (see the next post for a link to the new OPM claim) -- here's Gerald Ford in 1974 in the wake of Watergate.

Reposted by Andrew Rudalevige

Michael Beschloss: LBJ's notes for his first Cabinet meeting as President, today 1963:

The claim that UET is somehow textual is truly bizarre, given a text without popular election of the president.
Buckle up for the speedy production of some vast literatures.
President insists his word is the one and only law in this land.

Reposted by Daniel Stone

Great @jamellebouie.net piece tying together many of the administration's grafts - for cash, for power...

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/o...
Opinion | The White House Gold Rush Is On
www.nytimes.com