Carl Henrik Knutsen
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chknutsen.bsky.social
Carl Henrik Knutsen
@chknutsen.bsky.social
5.9K followers 450 following 110 posts

Political science professor, University of Oslo; Research group leader, CIR group; Researcher, PRIO; co-PI, V-Dem

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Political science 57%
Sociology 20%
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chknutsen.bsky.social
Carl Henrik Knutsen @chknutsen.bsky.social · 18h
Check out our easy-to-use dashboard, which allows you to draw maps, time trends, and other vizualisations on governments and cabinet ministers from across the world 👇
jacobnyrup.bsky.social 𝙅𝙖𝙘🍩𝙗 𝙉𝙮𝙧𝙪𝙥 @jacobnyrup.bsky.social · 19h
We are happy to release the Paths to Power Dashboard. It is the perfect tool for politics nerds!

You can find it here: ptp.isv.sv.uio.no/ptp/

It allows you to explore governments from 1966-2021 using the PtP and WhoGov datasets. See examples below.

The app has been programmed by Stuart Bramwell.

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

jacobnyrup.bsky.social
𝙅𝙖𝙘🍩𝙗 𝙉𝙮𝙧𝙪𝙥 @jacobnyrup.bsky.social · 19h
You can find the article introducing PtP in the link below.

We are always trying to improve, so if you have any suggestions for changes to the app or notice mistakes in the data, then please let us know!
Paths to Power: A New Dataset on the Social Profile of Governments | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core
Paths to Power: A New Dataset on the Social Profile of Governments - Volume 55
www.cambridge.org

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Claudia Landwehr

jacobnyrup.bsky.social
𝙅𝙖𝙘🍩𝙗 𝙉𝙮𝙧𝙪𝙥 @jacobnyrup.bsky.social · 19h
We are happy to release the Paths to Power Dashboard. It is the perfect tool for politics nerds!

You can find it here: ptp.isv.sv.uio.no/ptp/

It allows you to explore governments from 1966-2021 using the PtP and WhoGov datasets. See examples below.

The app has been programmed by Stuart Bramwell.

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Carl Henrik Knutsen, David R. Miller , and 1 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 1d
What is happening in America right now. The arbitrary power of a tyrant deployed against his political enemies.

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen, Robert C. Richards, Rebecca Tushnet , and 1 more

timothysnyder.bsky.social
Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · 3d
We have cleaned up the crime scene and blocked a local investigation and hidden the perpetrator and invaded the state and that is how you know that we are acting in good faith and that everything was the victim’s fault.
www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01...
Trump Administration Live Updates: Noem Says ‘Hundreds More’ Agents Will Be Sent to Minnesota Over ‘Corruption’
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 3d
Literal propaganda for the sitting president
peterbakernyt.bsky.social Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 3d
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery removes wall text that referred to Trump’s two impeachments — language that had upset the White House. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/a...
Smithsonian Removes Label Noting Trump Impeachments
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Richard S.J. Tol, Will Jennings , and 39 more

anneapplebaum.bsky.social
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 4d
The Norwegian Nobel Prize committee has been forced to make a statement, declaring that the prize cannot be transferred.
It's hard even to comprehend how stupid this has become

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

darinself.com
Darin Self @darinself.com · 5d
Im really tired of elites across the spectrum treating Trump with special rules that they apply to no one else.

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

onestpress.onestnetwork.com
Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 5d
European Union Finalizes Landmark Trade Deal With South America

Covering Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, the pact highlights the EU’s push for multilateral cooperation amid a U.S. turn toward coercive international policies.

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen, Victor Asal, Jens Rydgren , and 2 more

jacobnyrup.bsky.social
𝙅𝙖𝙘🍩𝙗 𝙉𝙮𝙧𝙪𝙥 @jacobnyrup.bsky.social · 5d
We are happy to announce the call for papers for the third WhoGov Mini-Conference on Political Elites!

It will be held on August 20-21st, 2026 in Oslo. We welcome research on political elites broadly understood and not just papers using WhoGov.

You can find the call here: bit.ly/whogovminico...

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Carl Henrik Knutsen

jacobtlevy.bsky.social
Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 6d
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
“It’s clear that some people in and adjacent to the administration felt empowered by the success of the operation,” said Heather Hurlburt, an associate fellow in the Americas program at Chatham House, a London-based think tank. Hurlburt cited a retired U.S. general who viewed the White House move in Venezuela and its fixation on Greenland as reminiscent of teenagers playing the geostrategic board game Risk.

Reposted by Will Jennings, Ruth Dassonneville, Carl Henrik Knutsen , and 7 more

peterla.bsky.social
Peter Egge Langsæther @peterla.bsky.social · 6d
Very happy to see this out in CPS! We study class identities and their social and political relevance over several decades in Britain, Denmark, Norway, and the US. A small thread:

journals.sagepub.com/eprint/SIRW4...

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Adam J. Berinsky , and 1 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 8d
What Rs said at the time

Pence: "a dark day"
Rubio: "3rd world style anti-American anarchy"
Cruz: "violence...is ALWAYS wrong"
Graham: Trump's "actions were the problem"
Stefanik: "a truly tragic day"
McCarthy: "undemocratic, un-American and criminal"
McConnell: "a disgrace"

And now we are lied to

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen, David R. Miller, Michael Zimmer , and 2 more

adambonin.bsky.social
Adam Bonin @adambonin.bsky.social · 8d
According to the White House, this is the "true" timeline of January 6th.
TRAGEDY AT THE CAPITOL Ashli Babbitt Murdered in Cold Blood Unarmed Air Force veteran and Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt is fatally shot by Capitol Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd without warning as she climbs through a broken window toward the Speaker's Lobby. No weapon was found on her, and she posed no threat. Byrd faced no charges. Three other Americans were also killed: Rosanne Boyland, Kevin Greeson and Benjamin Philips. Zero law enforcement officers lost their lives. 2:44 PM BETRAYAL OF THE PRESIDENT Mike Pence Refuses to Act Vice President Mike Pence, who had the opportunity to return disputed electoral slates to state legislatures for review and decertification under the United States Constitution, chooses not to exercise that power in an act of cowardice and sabotage. Instead, Pence presides over the certification of contested electors, undermining President Trump's efforts to address documented fraud and ending any chance to correct the election steal. 8:00 PM FRAUDULENT CERTIFICATION Stolen Election Certified After law enforcement clears the Capitol, Congress reconvenes late that night and certifies Joe Biden’s electoral votes—votes from battleground states marred by massive mail-in ballot fraud, hidden suitcases of ballots, exploding water pipes, voting machine irregularities, and unprecedented pandemic-era rule changes that bypassed state legislatures. 2020 is considered the greatest election theft in U.S. history, with widespread fraud deliberately ignored by courts, officials and the media. 8:00 PM – 3:40 AM BIG TECH AND Banking Collusion President Trump Silenced Despite his explicit calls for peaceful protest, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms collude to ban President Trump, citing "incitement" in a blatant act of election interference. JPMorgan, Bank of America, Capital One, and other major financial institutions debank President Trump and his family, closing accounts, freezing funds, and denying services in a ruthless campaign of financ…

Reposted by Jochen Müller, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Maarten Vink , and 2 more

felixhaass.bsky.social
Felix Haass @felixhaass.bsky.social · 8d
🚨Job alert! 🚨

I'm advertising a PhD position (66%) in Comparative Politics at HU Berlin. Ideal candidates combine a research interest in autocratic politics, conflict, and/or political violence with strong quantitative methods skills.

⏳ 4 (+2) years | 🗓 DL 16.01; Start March/April 26

More info:
Research fellow (m/f/d) in the field of “contentious politics/political violence/autocratic politics” - Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
www.hu-berlin.de

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

onestpress.onestnetwork.com
Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 11d
US appears to have begun bombing Venezuela - massive air strikes reported in Caracas and other parts of the country after large explosions reported at a military base.

Maduro gov has now officially blamed US.

Reposted by Scott L. Greer, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Chris Hanretty , and 2 more

jacobedenhofer.bsky.social
Jacob Edenhofer @jacobedenhofer.bsky.social · 12d
By way of preparing for teaching and making sense of current events, I spent today trying to synthesise the demand-side literature on democratic backsliding (see figure below). The starting point of most of this literature is simple: Do voters punish politicians who violate democratic norms, or do

Reposted by Cas Mudde, Carl Henrik Knutsen, Mark J. Brandt , and 10 more

sarahobolt.bsky.social
Sara Hobolt @sarahobolt.bsky.social · 15d
🚨 We’re hiring an Assistant Professor in Political Science

⏰ Deadline 4th January 2026

🙋‍♀️ Any questions, please reach out

👇
sarahobolt.bsky.social Sara Hobolt @sarahobolt.bsky.social · Nov 25
🚨 LSE Assistant Professor in Political Science 🚨

We’re hiring a tenure-track assistant professor - any area of empirical political science - to join our wonderful Government Dept @lsegovernment.bsky.social

Any questions, please reach out to me

📣 Please share! 📣

jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen, Jelena Subotić, Greg Linden

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 18d
Metaphor alert
jjvincent.bsky.social James Vincent @jjvincent.bsky.social · 18d
another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

jonaslinde.bsky.social
Jonas Linde @jonaslinde.bsky.social · 22d
In this "new" article published in @jeppjournal.bsky.social, Atle Haugsgjerd, @rubenmathisen.bsky.social and I examine how political representation of the populist radical right (PRR) in Europe affects citizens’ satisfaction with democracy.
Populist radical right party representation and satisfaction with democracy in Europe
This paper examines how political representation of the populist radical right (PRR) in Europe affects citizens’ satisfaction with democracy. Earlier research provides conflicting expectations: Som...
www.tandfonline.com

chknutsen.bsky.social
Carl Henrik Knutsen @chknutsen.bsky.social · 25d
Congratulations with an excellent thesis and impressive defense, Thea! I really enjoyed our conversation :)

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

theajohansen.bsky.social
Thea Johansen @theajohansen.bsky.social · 26d
Yesterday I defended my thesis and officially became a doctor 🎓
Huge thanks to the committee @chknutsen.bsky.social @hannefjelde.bsky.social for the thoughtful questions and helpful suggestions for future work!

Reposted by Timothy Snyder, Carl Henrik Knutsen

phillipspobrien.bsky.social
Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 26d
Hi All, Timothy Snyder and I held
a Substack Live a little while ago, and ranged widely on the Russo-Ukraine war. It ended up being divided into two parts. Here is part one where we talk about views of Russia, Ukraine and war in 2022. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...
On the Russo-Ukrainian War with Phillips OBrien
A recording from Phillips P. OBrien and Timothy Snyder's live video
open.substack.com

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen, David R. Miller, Tom Louwerse

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 29d
As we welcome white Afrikaners from South Africa and deny entry to any other refugees. There is nothing subtle about what is happening here.
mclem.org Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 29d
The US Administration has banned Americans from *adopting babies* from much of the African continent.

Adopting.

Babies.

What trait do those babies have that, when they grow up as fully American adults, would make them a threat to our country in any form?
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 29d
On that last post: I genuinely cannot think of any good-faith reason to bar international adoptions from those 39 countries. Under this new ban, consulates will refuse adoption visas for any baby from Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela, Nigeria, or any of the 39 other countries.

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Carl Henrik Knutsen

lmorgenbesser.bsky.social
Lee Morgenbesser @lmorgenbesser.bsky.social · Dec 14
PUBLISHED! My latest piece addresses the inactivity and passivity of the anti-Trump resistance. From my vantage point, it is not doing enough 🫣

I highlight seven lessons from those who have resisted authoritarian rule around the world.

theconversation.com/has-the-trum...
Has the Trump resistance been too passive? Here are 7 ways to effectively protest authoritarian rule
The ‘No Kings’ protests have been important, but smaller, more sustained acts of resistance have proven successful in other countries around the world.
theconversation.com

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

torewig.bsky.social
Tore Wig @torewig.bsky.social · Dec 9
Happy to announce that I have received an @erc.europa.eu Consolidator grant for the project "Authoritarian Threats to Scientific Knowledge". AutoKnow will study how authoritarian regimes and politics affect scientific progress, contents and topics in different fields.

www.sv.uio.no/isv/english/...
Large EU-grant to Tore Wig to study the state of science in autocracies - Department of Political Science
Will scientific progress slow down if more countries in the world become autocratic? That is one of the questions political science professor Tore Wig will seek to answer with two million euros from t...
www.sv.uio.no

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Carl Henrik Knutsen

bjpols.bsky.social
British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Dec 9
From October 2025 -

Paths to Power: A New Dataset on the Social Profile of Governments - https://cup.org/47i6oKQ

- @jacobnyrup.bsky.social, @chknutsen.bsky.social, @peterla.bsky.social & Ina Lyftingsmo Kristiansen

#OpenAccess
BJPolS abstract describing the introduction of a global database called PtP, which contains detailed individual-level data on political, occupational, and social backgrounds from 144,789 cabinet members across 141 countries between 1966 and 2021. The text highlights the database's relevance to researchers in various fields including political and social sciences.

Reposted by Simon Hix, Brendan Nyhan, Linda J. Skitka , and 15 more

adambonica.bsky.social
Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · Dec 6
Study after study shows campaign ads barely move the needle. So where does money’s real power come from? I ranked the five ways money corrupts politics—from least to most corrosive. What I’ve learned from 15 years of tracking political money:
Money Doesn't Buy Elections. It Does Something Worse.
Campaign ads barely move the needle. The real influence is hiding in plain sight.
open.substack.com

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

statsvitenskap.bsky.social
Department of Political Science, University of Oslo @statsvitenskap.bsky.social · Dec 2
📢 New Article
👥 Daniel Alexander Novick Goldstein @daniel-a-n-goldstein.com (ISV) & Drew Stommes
👉 Who Should Fight? Experimental Evidence on Policy Corrections to the Unequal Costs of US Wars
📗 Open Access in International Studies Quarterly
🔗 doi.org/10.1093/isq/...
Who Should Fight? Experimental Evidence on Policy Corrections to the Unequal Costs of US Wars
Abstract. The physical costs of war—who fights and experiences casualties—are borne unequally in the USA. However, little is known about how informing indi
doi.org

Reposted by Carl Henrik Knutsen

worldpolitics.bsky.social
World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Nov 26
In today’s Encode/Decode @chknutsen.bsky.social and @palinakolvani.bsky.social analyze how #regime type and #state #capacity shape the abilities and incentives of #political #leaders to respond to #COVID-19. Read the full article here: doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...