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Jacob T. Levy

@jacobtlevy.bsky.social

60K followers 1K following 13K posts

Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory, Associate member of Philosophy, Coordinator of Research Group on Constitutional Studies, McGill. Posts here speak only for myself. Americo-Canadian; liberaltarian; aging geek. http://jacobtlevy.com .. more

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Jacob T. Levy is an American political theorist and Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory at McGill University. Levy is the Chair of the Department of Political Science at McGill, as well as the coordinator of McGill's Research Group on Constitutional Studies and the founding director of McGill's Yan P. Lin Centre for the Study of Freedom and Global Orders in the Ancient and Modern Worlds. Levy is also a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center and the Institute for Humane Studies. He is known for his expertise on multiculturalism, liberalism, and pluralism. .. more

Political science 68%

Law 8%

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 5h

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_...

The coffee drinker outlived the experiment itself.

^ Experiment
The king ordered the experiment to be conducted using a pair of identical twins. Both of the twins had been tried for the crimes they had committed and condemned to death. Their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment
on the condition that one of the twins drink three pots of coffee, and the other drink the
same amount of tea, every day for the rest of their lives. 7]
The tea drinking twin died first at the age of 83, long after the death of Gustav Ill, who was assassinated in 1792. The age of the coffee-drinking twin at his death is unknown, as both doctors assigned by the king to monitor this study predeceased him. 7][51[81[9]

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 6h

d'oh!

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

gelbach @gelbach.bsky.social · 6h

This post by @fishkin.bsky.social about the Trump/Mailman/Rowan “compact” letter is excellent. I hope journalists will read and understand it balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Cameron Campbell, Daniel W. Drezner, Gerald Friedman , and 3 more Cameron Campbell, Daniel W. Drezner, Gerald Friedman, Dagmar Hoffmann, Jacob T. Levy, Aviel Roshwald

Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 6h

Terribly sad news about one of the greats. Diane Keaton has died at 79.
people.com/diane-keaton...

Diane Keaton, Famed for Roles in 'Father of the Bride,' 'First Wives Club' and More, Dies at 79 (Exclusive)

Diane Keaton has died at age 79. Keaton was best known for roles in movies like 'Annie Hall,' 'The First Wives Club,' 'Something's Gotta Give' and 'The Godfather.'

people.com

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

nilay patel @reckless.bsky.social · 7h

It was @sarahjeong.bsky.social and we’ve been pounding this drum for years - especially since all the promises of metadata to prove images are real have gone nowhere www.theverge.com/2024/8/22/24...

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 8h

Religious leaders here are not mincing words. They have repeatedly used the word "evil."

"Detention and deportation are acts that wound the body of Christ, and deny the dignity of God's people."

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Julian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 8h

ICE is an armed gang, and they’re only going to get worse. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

Opinion | The Chicago raids send a worrying signal about the ideal ICE agents in Trump's America

The agency is on a hiring spree. But we know what that kind of breakneck expansion of the workforce can result in because we’ve seen it before.

www.msnbc.com

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 8h

Joining the cast of Stranger Things this season along with the rest of our gang of lovable teenagers

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Scott A. Imberman

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 9h

It’s this multiple times a day

They don't even bother to lie badly anymore.
I suppose that's the final humiliation.

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Reposted by Robert Black, Jacob T. Levy

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 9h

District court judges, appointed by presidents from Reagan to Biden (including Trump I), seem to understand the assignment more than most law firms. This is curious because the data shows that lawyers as a whole are more liberal on average than federal judges

Jon Seidel @jonseidel.bsky.social · 2d

Perry asks directly whether the feds started the alleged violence in Chicago.

She asks whether it matters if the inability to execute the law was "caused by the federal agents."

Hamilton: "No, your honor."

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 9h

“Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders” electionlawblog.org?p=152458

"Federal Judges, Warning of 'Judicial Crisis,' Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders" #ELB

NYT: More than three dozen federal judges have told The New York Times that the Supreme Court’s flurry of brief, opaque emergency orders in cases related to the Trump administration have left them con...

electionlawblog.org

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Reposted by Joshua Goodman, Jacob T. Levy

Kevin Carey @kevincarey1.bsky.social · 9h

It's clearer by the day that Columbia making a deal with Trump in July was a catastrophe for higher education as a whole. It gave terrible people a bottomless appetite for extortion. The other eight universities must follow MIT's lead.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/u...

M.I.T. Rejects a White House Offer for Special Funding Treatment

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Aaron Sojourner, Jacob T. Levy, Margot C. Finn , and 2 more Aaron Sojourner, Jacob T. Levy, Margot C. Finn, James Goodwin, Daxton R. Stewart

Anna Gifty @itsafronomics.bsky.social · 10h

lol gentle reminder that DEI is not illegal. Supporting marginalized groups is not illegal. Anyone reneging on support is making a CHOICE to do so.

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Reposted by Tom Clark, Jacob T. Levy, Samantha Brennan

Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 11h

This story rounding up the autocratization of American government & society makes my blood run cold

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

Trump, Feeling Emboldened, Pushes Agenda Into Higher Gear

Recent moves by the president reflect a commander in chief who has seemingly faced little resistance to his agenda.

www.wsj.com

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Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · 21h

Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...

Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job

US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board

www.telegraph.co.uk

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 23h

Can’t believe it’s been five hours and no ALF joke.

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

It’s a day that ends in y.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, though Trump can barely manage twice per decade.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Noice

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 1d

I think it is wild that the Republican leaders of Congress are publicly delegating their branch of government's constitutional spending powers to the president. Why not just let him vote on Supreme Court cases, too?

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Q: Rescission are something Dems have said is a reason for a lack of trust. What rescissions are you discussing?

JOHNSON: We have more than $37t in debt. We're doing everything we can to get us back to sound fiscal responsibility. What does that include? A rescission package is part of our process

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

I was careful!!!

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

I think it's fair to say that story is not particularly beloved. I thought it was pretty dumb, myself. But it's been set up perfectly, and it probably actually makes more organic sense in the Gunn-DCU than it did in the comics DCU. I'll bet something fun comes out of it.

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

At the risk of a new round of why-do-you-hate-waffles:

So, Peacemaker took a while to get going this season but it sure got there at the end!

When they dropped the name [proper noun] and I realized that meant Gunn was setting up [specific comics story], my jaw dropped. Didn't see that one coming.

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Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

McGill PoliSci @mcgillpolisci.bsky.social · 1d

And (separately) registration is still open for the alumni Homecoming week roundtable "Democracy under Pressure: What’s at Stake for Canada and the World"

www.eventbrite.ca/e/democracy-...

Reposted by Rex Brynen, Jacob T. Levy

McGill PoliSci @mcgillpolisci.bsky.social · 1d

Registration is open for the inaugural conference for the Diamond-Brown Chair in Democratic Studies!

"From Democratic Resilience to Recession: Global and Canadian Perspectives on Authoritarian Backsliding."

alumni.mcgill.ca/aoc/events-t...

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

democracyproject.org/posts/civil-...

New from Columbia political theorist Turkuler Isiksel; highly recommended.

Civil Society Institutions Under Authoritarian Encroachment

A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.

democracyproject.org

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

I'm not *mad* Obama won, though I can understand people who are because of how the rest of his presidency unfolded with respect to decisions about war and peace. But I think it was a mistake, and remembering mistakes is part of taking "who/ what should be honored?" questions seriously.

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Reposted by Robert C. Richards, Jacob T. Levy, Michael H. Whitworth , and 4 more Robert C. Richards, Jacob T. Levy, Michael H. Whitworth, Judith Beyer, Ann Bartow, Klaus Oschema, Nicolai von Ondarza

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 1d

I am writing this because it has swiftly become crystal clear to me that many people have no idea what is happening or how this works. Here is a thread for non-academics to put into context what just happened to Dr. Mark Bray, a fellow historian.

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

than the Oscars!

It's not that I imagine a world where prizes are never mis-awarded. But insofar as the prizes honor things and people, and shape our memories of what's worth honoring... people go on arguing about them.

It's *good* that people are still mad Kissinger won, right?

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

1) Why do you care what I care about?

but also

2) It's one of the social functions of prizes to get people to care about them and think about who/ what deserves them. I still care that Forrest Gump beat Pulp Fiction and that Crash beat *anything* for Best Picture, and the NPP is more serious...

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