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Michael Albertus

@mikealbertus.bsky.social

2K followers 450 following 310 posts

Professor @UChicago Political Science | Democracy, dictatorship, conflict, property, the Americas | Author of Land Power

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Jan 14

Very excited to announce the release of my new book today, Land Power! Based on 15 years of work, it tells the story of how land shapes societies, from racial hierarchy to inequality, development, gender & the environment.
In hardcover/eBook/audiobook. More in 🧵

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 8h

My interview with Democratic Erosion Consortium Directors @robertblair.bsky.social, Laura Paler, Jessica Gottlieb, and Julie Anne Weaver on their *new global dataset* on democracy! And on how to measure and understand democracy today, in the US & abroad

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/q-and-a-wi...

Q&A with Directors of the Democratic Erosion Consortium

How their work helps us understand democracy & democratic erosion in the US and globally

michaelalbertus.substack.com

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 7d

A federal judge is currently hearing whether #Trump can turn #Chicago into the latest military "training ground". On the back of last week's ICE raid in South Shore, it's a combustible (and unnecessary) situation. And it hits close to home

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/chicago-is...

Chicago is Now a Military "Training Ground"

National Guard troops are deploying to the city to support ICE agents, creating a combustible situation

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 13d

The Trump administration is using the government shutdown as an opportunity to double down on its attacks on political enemies. That raises risks for American democracy. More here on where this could go 👇

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/dangers-of...

The Government Shutdown Raises Risks for American Democracy

The Trump administration is poised to use the shutdown as an opportunity to double down on its attacks on political enemies

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 21d

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 21d

My interview with @johnshopkinssph.bsky.social Dean Will Howell and @stanforduniversity.bsky.social Prof. Terry Moe, leading experts on the American presidency, on their important new book The Rise of the Strongman Presidency @princetonupress.bsky.social

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

The Rise of the Strongman Presidency

My interview with Johns Hopkins Professor William Howell and Stanford Professor Terry Moe on their new book on the transformation of presidential power

michaelalbertus.substack.com

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · 27d

The temperature is rising in American politics. Charlie Kirk's assassination is part of a growing wave of political violence that threatens the stability of our democracy and is very unusual among advanced democracies.

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/the-rising...

The Rising Tide of Political Violence

Charlie Kirk's assassination is part of a disturbing decade-old trend in the US that sets it apart from other advanced democracies

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Sep 11

@dryan149.bsky.social

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Sep 11

Interview here

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/somebody-s...

Somebody Should Do Something

My interview with the authors of a new book on how to enact social change in troubled times

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Sep 11

My interview with social change experts and philosophy professors @michaelbrownstein.bsky.social, Dan Kelly, and Alex Madva on their fantastic new book Somebody Should Do Something. A must read if you’re thinking about big social problems, how they change, and what you can do @mitpress.bsky.social

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Sep 5

The renaming of the Department of Defense as the Department of War signals a deeper geopolitical shift that departs from the postwar global order

www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

The Coming Age of Territorial Expansion

Climate change will fuel contests—and maybe wars—for land and resources.

www.foreignaffairs.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Sep 5

#Trump's airstrike on a boat from #Venezuela signals an increasingly reliance on "tough on crime" political branding and advances in the international arena the same sense of unilateral authority that he has been pursuing domestically 👇

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/the-drug-w...

The Drug War Moves to…Venezuela?

The Trump administration’s brazen airstrike on a suspected drug-smuggling boat from Venezuela signals an increasing reliance on "tough on crime" political branding

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 29

Just published! 🎉 My paper "Indigenous Community Recognition and Identity: Evidence from Peru" @cpsjournal.bsky.social. It shows how & why indigenous recognition impacts self-identification for those who experience it – and for later generations that don't.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Indigenous Community Recognition and Identity: Evidence from Peru - Michael Albertus, 2025

Collective recognition of indigenous claims to land and traditional authority has advanced rapidly in recent decades in many countries. How do these processes i...

journals.sagepub.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 29

Full piece here: michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/trumps-att...

Trump's Attempt To Control the Federal Reserve

The politicized firing of Fed Governor Lisa Cook threatens the tradition of central bank independence and could destabilize the American economy

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 29

#Trump's politicized firing of Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook threatens its independence and could destabilize the American economy. It also marks a major departure among advanced democracies of central bank independence, which has tamed inflation and unemployment 👇

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 22

Democracy is under assault in the US & abroad by elected leaders entrusted to preserve it. My interview with UChicago Professor Susan Stokes, a leading expert on democracy, tells why, based on her new book The Backsliders (@princetonupress.bsky.social)

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/the-backsl...

The Backsliders

My interview with University of Chicago Professor Susan Stokes on her new book on democratic erosion around the globe

michaelalbertus.substack.com

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 21

My interview with Harvard legal scholar and elections expert @profnickstephan.bsky.social on Texas's redistricting. We cover the legal landscape of gerrymandering, how Texas's move impacts other state plans to redistrict, and what it means for democracy

michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/q-and-a-wi...

Q&A With Election Law Expert Nick Stephanopoulos on Texas Republicans' Extreme Partisan Gerrymander

Why the rare move threatens local representation and the partisan balance in the US House – and could spark widespread partisan redistricting

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 13

Full post here: michaelalbertus.substack.com/publish/post...

Trump's Proposal to Redefine "Persons" in the Census Has Big Political Implications

The move, which aims to exclude immigrants without legal status, seeks to give a durable political advantage to Republicans

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 13

Trump's proposal to redefine "persons" in the #census – by excluding immigrants without legal status – aims at giving Republicans a durable political advantage. A deep dive on it, with a key map that helps understand the dynamics, here 👇

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Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 12

Book here

www.amazon.com/Land-Power-D...

Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies

Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies [Albertus, Michael] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies

www.amazon.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 12

What does it mean to look at power through the lens of land stewardship and ownership? My interview on Green Dreamer with @greendreamerkamea.bsky.social. We talk capitalism, culture, ecology, politics, and more. Based on my new book, Land Power

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/m...

Mike Albertus: Reshuffling land, reconfiguring power

Podcast Episode · Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration · 08/08/2025 · 54m

podcasts.apple.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 6

Full post here: michaelalbertus.substack.com/p/q-and-a-wi...

Q&A With Election Law Expert Nick Stephanopoulos on Texas Republicans' Extreme Partisan Gerrymander

Why the rare move threatens local representation and the partisan balance in the US House – and could spark widespread partisan redistricting

michaelalbertus.substack.com

Michael Albertus @mikealbertus.bsky.social · Aug 6