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Ryan LaRochelle

@rlarochelle.bsky.social

1.6K followers 1K following 650 posts

Senior Lecturer at the Cohen Institute for Leadership and Public Service at the University of Maine. Researching and teaching about American political development and political history. https://www.ryanlarochelle.com

www.ryanlarochelle.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · Jul 1

My incredible former student Kate Flynn and I have an article in TIME Magazine today about the importance of keeping the military out of partisan political battles, based on our research on Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. A short thread: time.com/7296041/non-...

Why a Non-Partisan U.S. Military is Essential

When partisanship threatened to politicize the military, a Republican helped maintain the military’s legitimacy.

time.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Kevin Morris @kevintmorris.bsky.social · 2d

Tomorrow, SCOTUS will hear arguments in Louisiana v. Callais, a major threat to (what remains of) the 1965 Voting Rights Act. But this isn't the first time the VRA has faced dire threats; in 2013 and 2021, SCOTUS weakened other provisions. We can learn from those why Callais could be so dangerous 🧵

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 19h

It's annoying (but not surprising) that AOC is often portrayed as the epitome of the "far-left radicals" when she's actually a fairly pragmatic and serious policymaker who seems to actually understand trade-offs and the importance of compromise in the legislative process.

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 19h

"Restructure faculty roles from content experts to experience designers and judgment coaches." Fuck off.

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 19h

Trump: I hereby declare Article I of the Constitution null and void. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!

Mike Johnson: Sure thing, your majesty.

The New York Times @nytimes.com · 20h

President Trump on Wednesday signed a memorandum expanding his administration’s authority to repurpose unspent federal funds to pay members of the military during the government shutdown, escalating his challenge to the authority of Congress on spending matters.

Trump Signs Memo Expanding His Authority to Spend Federal Money

The president gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wide authority to repurpose funds to pay members of the military without approval from Congress, which has the sole constitutional authority to decide federal spending.

nyti.ms

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 1d

"If the reading revolution represented the greatest transfer of knowledge to ordinary men and women in history, the screen revolution represents the greatest theft of knowledge from ordinary people in history."

A great essay. @j-amesmarriott.bsky.social

jmarriott.substack.com/p/the-dawn-o...

The dawn of the post-literate society

And the end of civilisation

jmarriott.substack.com

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 2d

I do wonder about whether the blatant sillyness of the frog costumes will lead potential supporters to question the seriousness of the protests. But on the whole, I think it's a useful strategy to call attention to just how heavy-handed the regime's response to "disorder" is.

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 2d

But that doesn't mean the dynamic is lost--protesters in Portland, Chicago, etc. can galvanize support by showing how out-of-line the state's repressive tactics are, thereby eroding support for the regime.

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 2d

In McAdam's original analysis, repression by white supremacists in the South led the federal government to intervene and support civil rights protests. Today's federal government is the one engaged in repression.

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 2d

Been thinking about the frog costumes and Doug McAdam's concept of the "critical dynamic," whereby nonviolent protest met with heavy-handed repression mobilizes potential supporters and leads to intervention in support of protestors. Some important caveats in the contemporary environment though...

Peter Kodde @peterpolder.bsky.social · 2d

The Surreal Practicality of Protesting As an Inflatable Frog

www.404media.co/the-surreal-...

The Surreal Practicality of Protesting As an Inflatable Frog

Say goodbye to the Guy Fawkes masks and hello to inflatable frogs and dinosaurs.

www.404media.co

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 6d

Mara C. Tieken (@batescollege.bsky.social) is a researcher studying school closings. In this @washingtonmonthly.com op-ed, she writes about how school closures hurt students & communities. "Closure isn’t a convenient solution—it’s a nuclear option. It should be the last resort."

Read the piece. ⤵️

Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.com · 6d

When enrollments decline, school boards often shutter schools, but this rarely saves money and always hurts kids and communities.

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/10/d...

Don’t Fall for the School Closure Temptation

A surge of public school closures is hitting rural and urban America alike. Closures save little money but devastate communities.

washingtonmonthly.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.com · 6d

When enrollments decline, school boards often shutter schools, but this rarely saves money and always hurts kids and communities.

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/10/d...

Don’t Fall for the School Closure Temptation

A surge of public school closures is hitting rural and urban America alike. Closures save little money but devastate communities.

washingtonmonthly.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 7d

The world is a shit show, but don’t underestimate the healing power of live music. Especially when the person making that music is David Byrne.

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 8d

Seems like the perpetual wishful thinking of the highly online left.

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 8d

The left (broadly speaking) needs to disenthrall itself from the idea that "policies will create new politics." Transformative policy feedback is rare, and we can't expect to build a new pro-democracy majority by relying on policy alone. Excellent piece. lpeproject.org/blog/rebuild...

Rebuilding State Authority In A Post-Trump America

In the ruins of the administrative state after Trump, many on the left see an opportunity to design a New Deal-type reconstruction agenda. But building state capacity requires a government that is…

lpeproject.org

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 8d

As @beaubaumann.bsky.social notes, "Good policy does not necessarily bring about favorable public opinion or political support for progressive initiatives. We can’t rely on effective governance to legitimize itself." I completely agree.

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 9d

Governance by CTRL+F DEL

Sarah Posner @sarahposner.bsky.social · 9d

Lawless Russell Vought thinks he can nullify a law by deleting it from an FAQ

www.govexec.com/pay-benefits...

OMB deletes reference to law guaranteeing backpay to furloughed feds from shutdown guidance

An Office of Management and Budget FAQ document now states that only excepted employees forced to work without pay are guaranteed backpay at the conclusion of a lapse in appropriations.

www.govexec.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 9d

Hard to believe that a guy with a face like that didn’t understand the policy positions of the person he voted for…

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 9d

So do all Harvard students receive a time-turner when they enroll? This is…quite silly.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/06/u...

Harvard may be partly to blame for encouraging student absences, with a policy that allows students to enroll in two classes that meet at the same time.

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 10d

I've read five Louise Penny novels and two Tana French novels this year. So I should probably get a Nobel Prize or something, right?

Matt Seybold @mattseybold.bsky.social · 10d

Just out here fixing civilization. By reading fiction. As a man.

You’re welcome, ladies.

Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Timothy Noah @timothynoah.bsky.social · 12d

This weekend is a good time to catch up on my stories about Trump’s imminent sale and likely destruction of a 1940 government building that one expert calls “the Sistine Chapel of New Deal art.”

Part one:

newrepublic.com/article/2010...

Part two:

newrepublic.com/article/2012...

The New Deal Masterpieces Threatened by Trump’s D.C. Downsizing

Your great-grandparents paid Ben Shahn and Philip Guston to create gorgeous public murals. Next year they could be rubble.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Scholars Strategy Network-Maine @mainessn.bsky.social · 13d

Maine SSN's @rlarochelle.bsky.social argues that the Trump administration is actively unraveling LBJ’s Great Society — cutting back on popular health, education, and social safety net programs built over decades.
Read his full op-ed in the BDN ⬇️
www.bangordailynews.com/2025/09/26/o...

Opinion: LBJ’s Great Society is being unraveled

"Johnson’s ambitious programs generated significant backlash. Ever since the 1970s, Republicans have tried to roll back many elements of his Great Society."

www.bangordailynews.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Amy Fried @asfried.bsky.social · 13d

Political science research clearly shows that Question 1 would make voting harder. Why would we want to do that? (gift link) #mepolitics www.pressherald.com?p=7506109&uu...

Research shows Question 1 would harm Maine voters | Opinion

There's a lot more to the Nov. 4 referendum question than simply presenting identification to vote.

www.pressherald.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 14d

Social media luddites Paul Herron and Dan Kryder have a brilliant and bracing new article in Publius about white supremacy in state constitutional development. academic.oup.com/publius/adva...

The Constitutional Foundations of White Supremacy: Evidence from the States

Abstract. The United States federal system reserved most powers regarding race and rights to the states, and the states constructed and maintained the lega

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Ryan LaRochelle

David W. Congdon @dwcongdon.com · 13d

My author, Todd Arrington, was forced to resign as director of the Eisenhower Library and Museum because he wouldn’t give Eisenhower’s personal sword to Trump to use as a gift to King Charles.
www.kake.com/home/directo...

Director of Eisenhower Library in Kansas ousted after refusing to give Trump administration a sword

The director of the presidential library and museum in Abilene, Kansas, said he was suddenly told to resign or be fired. He refused to give the Trump administration a historic

www.kake.com

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Ryan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 13d

I've been using Christian Miller's book The Character Gap to teach about this in my ethics courses for several years. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

global.oup.com