Brian Cook
@2ndadminstate.bsky.social
Tinkering with the Constitution has failed. The American commercial republic must be reconstructed.
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
Professor Emeritus of Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Speech is silver, silence is gold. Self is universe."
--Ursula Le Guin
Early in the 1912 presidential election, one of the candidates made this argument 👇. No, it was not Theodore Roosevelt or Eugene V. Debs.
November 6, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Early in the 1912 presidential election, one of the candidates made this argument 👇. No, it was not Theodore Roosevelt or Eugene V. Debs.
I think often now about this memorial on Boston Common. How is it we are allowing the sacrifice of these men, and of all the other women and men, enslaved and free, to be trampled in the mud and wasted. Their spirits will never forgive us.
October 21, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I think often now about this memorial on Boston Common. How is it we are allowing the sacrifice of these men, and of all the other women and men, enslaved and free, to be trampled in the mud and wasted. Their spirits will never forgive us.
Happy Constitution Day!
September 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Happy Constitution Day!
Great work, everybody!
September 17, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Great work, everybody!
This is from Daniel Ellsburg’s book, The Doomsday Machine. Why can’t Americans get it together to do this now? Two million people in 1969 was nearly 1 percent of the US population! Work and school stoppages! Why not now??
September 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
This is from Daniel Ellsburg’s book, The Doomsday Machine. Why can’t Americans get it together to do this now? Two million people in 1969 was nearly 1 percent of the US population! Work and school stoppages! Why not now??
It does, although I'm not sure what makes it a "stunning new history."
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
September 6, 2025 at 9:51 PM
It does, although I'm not sure what makes it a "stunning new history."
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
This really might come in handy very soon. Maybe more cities and towns should have them.
August 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This really might come in handy very soon. Maybe more cities and towns should have them.
Always fun little surprises when you take time to explore New England…
August 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Always fun little surprises when you take time to explore New England…
Here's a possible explanation for @kjephd.bsky.social's miracle: gun ownership is lower where the fascist takeover is concentrating its initial attacks.
August 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Here's a possible explanation for @kjephd.bsky.social's miracle: gun ownership is lower where the fascist takeover is concentrating its initial attacks.
For what it's worth, in my book on creating a fourth administrative branch under the Constitution, I use the BLS as a possible model for the political appointee structure for all administrative agencies in such a new fourth branch.
August 1, 2025 at 2:43 PM
For what it's worth, in my book on creating a fourth administrative branch under the Constitution, I use the BLS as a possible model for the political appointee structure for all administrative agencies in such a new fourth branch.
It's all good, folks!
It's all good...
It's all good...
August 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
It's all good, folks!
It's all good...
It's all good...
Prospect Hill now in the City of Somerville, MA and a beautiful urban park and place of history education.
August 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Prospect Hill now in the City of Somerville, MA and a beautiful urban park and place of history education.
The Partnership for Public Service has created a 'Federal Harms Tracker' to reflect the all-out assault on the federal civil service. They count over 148,000 who have left federal service so far.
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
August 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The Partnership for Public Service has created a 'Federal Harms Tracker' to reflect the all-out assault on the federal civil service. They count over 148,000 who have left federal service so far.
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
What I wrote five years ago seems even more apt now. Continuing to cling to the notion that we’ll be able to make repairs from the heaps of ash and broken bricks of our degenerate republic is foolish. We must create something better.
July 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
What I wrote five years ago seems even more apt now. Continuing to cling to the notion that we’ll be able to make repairs from the heaps of ash and broken bricks of our degenerate republic is foolish. We must create something better.
As Western Europe swelters now, and the US has had 1200 tornadoes so far this year, this is not good . . .
July 1, 2025 at 6:51 PM
As Western Europe swelters now, and the US has had 1200 tornadoes so far this year, this is not good . . .
Concord Museum, Concord, Massachusetts.
June 30, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Concord Museum, Concord, Massachusetts.
Every university teaching department chair everywhere ever.
June 30, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Every university teaching department chair everywhere ever.
Posting this again because more people should understand what actually happens when a nuclear weapon detonates.
The first page of Annie Jacobsen's book Nuclear War. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/748264...
The first page of Annie Jacobsen's book Nuclear War. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/748264...
June 23, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Posting this again because more people should understand what actually happens when a nuclear weapon detonates.
The first page of Annie Jacobsen's book Nuclear War. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/748264...
The first page of Annie Jacobsen's book Nuclear War. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/748264...
Pretty good! But I still think my fourth branch approach is better.
The text below is from my 2021 book. It is not the constitutional text, but the basic principles, like those Madison prepared for the 1787 convention.
The text below is from my 2021 book. It is not the constitutional text, but the basic principles, like those Madison prepared for the 1787 convention.
June 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Pretty good! But I still think my fourth branch approach is better.
The text below is from my 2021 book. It is not the constitutional text, but the basic principles, like those Madison prepared for the 1787 convention.
The text below is from my 2021 book. It is not the constitutional text, but the basic principles, like those Madison prepared for the 1787 convention.
Chicago (from The Guardian live stream)
June 14, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Chicago (from The Guardian live stream)
Re: "centrist" Democrats trying coax Musk to join them, this is not a matter of "center" or "left" but gradations of neoliberalism. Here's the account of how we got here in my book, The Fourth Branch. My error was to state that only one major party was captured.
June 5, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Re: "centrist" Democrats trying coax Musk to join them, this is not a matter of "center" or "left" but gradations of neoliberalism. Here's the account of how we got here in my book, The Fourth Branch. My error was to state that only one major party was captured.
A diverse class of first graders singing If I Had a Hammer 🎶
The kids are alright.
The kids are alright.
May 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
A diverse class of first graders singing If I Had a Hammer 🎶
The kids are alright.
The kids are alright.
Theodore Lowi and the rise of the plebescitary presidency, 1986.
May 23, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Theodore Lowi and the rise of the plebescitary presidency, 1986.