Barry Burden
@bcburden.bsky.social
Professor of political science at UW-Madison. Director of Elections Research Center. First gen college grad. Native Ohioan.
barryburden.info
barryburden.info
This will be such a loss for public engagement & government transparency Wisconsin. I hope a creative team can come up with a solution to keep the public affairs video flowing.
November 20, 2025 at 7:08 PM
This will be such a loss for public engagement & government transparency Wisconsin. I hope a creative team can come up with a solution to keep the public affairs video flowing.
You read that right. The President of the United States has called for execution of legislative opponents .
President Trump accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — called on U.S. military members to uphold the constitution and defy “illegal orders.” https://to.pbs.org/4r5aZZH
Trump says Democrats' video message to military is 'seditious behavior' punishable by death
President Donald Trump on Thursday accused half a dozen Democratic lawmakers of sedition “punishable by DEATH” after the lawmakers — all veterans of the armed services and intelligence community — cal...
www.pbs.org
November 20, 2025 at 6:18 PM
You read that right. The President of the United States has called for execution of legislative opponents .
November 18, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Searches for Guns N’ Roses song “November Rain” have fallen over time but always tick up this month
November 18, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Searches for Guns N’ Roses song “November Rain” have fallen over time but always tick up this month
Comparing the legal ages for driving a car, voting, and drinking alcohol:
the one that most obviously needs to change (is raising) the driving age.
the one that most obviously needs to change (is raising) the driving age.
November 16, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Comparing the legal ages for driving a car, voting, and drinking alcohol:
the one that most obviously needs to change (is raising) the driving age.
the one that most obviously needs to change (is raising) the driving age.
Return of House presumably means finally swearing in member-elect Grijalva and opening the door the Epstein files when she signs the discharge petition punchbowl.news/article/hous...
Johnson faces multitude of challenges in House vote to reopen government
House Republican leaders will announce in the next day or two that they’re bringing the chamber back into session for the first time in more than 50 days.
punchbowl.news
November 10, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Return of House presumably means finally swearing in member-elect Grijalva and opening the door the Epstein files when she signs the discharge petition punchbowl.news/article/hous...
Let’s put a cap on the use of “honestly,” “literally,” and “perfect” www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
If we're being truthful, people are saying 'honestly' all the time
The popularity of the word honestly online and in conversation has soared in recent years. TBH, we'd like to know what's going on.
www.npr.org
November 8, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Let’s put a cap on the use of “honestly,” “literally,” and “perfect” www.npr.org/2025/11/07/n...
Smooth move, Louvre abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
Password to Louvre’s video surveillance system was 'Louvre', according to employee
According to an employee with knowledge of the system, the password to the Louvre's video surveillance system was simply "Louvre" at the time of the robbery last month.
abcnews.go.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Smooth move, Louvre abcnews.go.com/Internationa...
Terrific new research on US political parties being shared at the 2025 State of the Parties conference
November 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Terrific new research on US political parties being shared at the 2025 State of the Parties conference
An interesting combo of: (1) Trump’s unique appeal compared to rest of GOP, (2) inherent swinginess of the group, (3) different *kinds* of Hispanics who vote in state v. pres elections
New Jersey municipalities that are 60%+ Hispanic where we currently have results:
November 5, 2025 at 10:52 PM
An interesting combo of: (1) Trump’s unique appeal compared to rest of GOP, (2) inherent swinginess of the group, (3) different *kinds* of Hispanics who vote in state v. pres elections
Looking bake to Trump’s first term: in 2017 Dems also won gov races in NJ & VA by healthy margins, so yesterday is not unique. But Dems went on to a romp in the 2018 midterms
November 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Looking bake to Trump’s first term: in 2017 Dems also won gov races in NJ & VA by healthy margins, so yesterday is not unique. But Dems went on to a romp in the 2018 midterms
Mamdani getting more votes just on the Working Families line than Sliwa is getting in total
November 5, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Mamdani getting more votes just on the Working Families line than Sliwa is getting in total
Folk wisdom is that women are the swing voters but tonight provides even more evidence that it’s men #Election2025
November 5, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Folk wisdom is that women are the swing voters but tonight provides even more evidence that it’s men #Election2025
Kamala Harris arrived in Madison just as Dick Cheney was leaving news.wisc.edu/two-vice-pre...
Two vice presidents have Madison in common
Kamala Harris and Dick Cheney don’t have much in common, as they’re on different sides of the political spectrum. Except one thing: The new vice president and the former vice president both lived in M...
news.wisc.edu
November 4, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Kamala Harris arrived in Madison just as Dick Cheney was leaving news.wisc.edu/two-vice-pre...
This timeline could have been prevented by Trump condemning rather than enabling the Charlottesville mob & Proud Boys
The gap between the white-supremacist influencer Nick Fuentes and the rest of the right is narrower than it has ever been, @alibreland.bsky.social argues.
Tucker Carlson Opens the Door for Nick Fuentes
The white-supremacist influencer is entering the MAGA mainstream.
bit.ly
November 2, 2025 at 10:05 PM
This timeline could have been prevented by Trump condemning rather than enabling the Charlottesville mob & Proud Boys
A dozen ways US has shifted toward authoritarianism under Trump: (1/2):
Curbing free speech
Using gov against opponents
Ignoring Congress
Using military inappropriately
Defying courts
Faking emergencies
Marginalizing groups
Controlling media
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Curbing free speech
Using gov against opponents
Ignoring Congress
Using military inappropriately
Defying courts
Faking emergencies
Marginalizing groups
Controlling media
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | Are We Losing Our Democracy? (Gift Article)
Donald Trump has wielded power as no previous president has.
www.nytimes.com
November 2, 2025 at 8:06 PM
A dozen ways US has shifted toward authoritarianism under Trump: (1/2):
Curbing free speech
Using gov against opponents
Ignoring Congress
Using military inappropriately
Defying courts
Faking emergencies
Marginalizing groups
Controlling media
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Curbing free speech
Using gov against opponents
Ignoring Congress
Using military inappropriately
Defying courts
Faking emergencies
Marginalizing groups
Controlling media
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
I’ve taken 2 surveys in 2 days that are obvious message testing by 2026 Wisconsin candidates
October 30, 2025 at 8:37 PM
I’ve taken 2 surveys in 2 days that are obvious message testing by 2026 Wisconsin candidates
If you’re @uwmadison.bsky.social on Monday join me for a conversation and Q&A with new Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford union.wisc.edu/events-and-a...
Behind the Bench: A Conversation and Q&A with Justice Susan Crawford
In this engaging conversation and Q&A, Justice Crawford will share her experiences from the courtroom, discuss the principles that guide her judicial work, and reflect on the broader role of the judic...
union.wisc.edu
October 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
If you’re @uwmadison.bsky.social on Monday join me for a conversation and Q&A with new Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford union.wisc.edu/events-and-a...
Can we persuade Tim Mellon to cover the coach buyouts instead of paying for a few minutes of military salary? www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
College football programs could spend $200 million in buyouts. Spare us the money moaning
Schools are clamoring for a way to control student athlete payments. We've yet to hear about coach contracts, of course.
www.nytimes.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Can we persuade Tim Mellon to cover the coach buyouts instead of paying for a few minutes of military salary? www.nytimes.com/athletic/671...
Fall leaf 11 (maybe my favorite)
October 26, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Fall leaf 11 (maybe my favorite)