Erik Peinert
@erikpeinert.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at Boston University Political Science. PhD Brown University. Comparative and international political economy. Competition, market power, and maybe lots of other things. Views my own.
https://www.erikpeinert.com/
https://www.erikpeinert.com/
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Erik Peinert
@erikpeinert.bsky.social
· Aug 11
Monopoly Politics: Competition and Learning in the Evolution of Policy Regimes
Abstract. Motivated by the contemporary extremes of monopoly power in the United States and globally, this book uses an in-depth comparison of the United S
academic.oup.com
My book is out today! Read my stuff! academic.oup.com/book/60584?l...
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The book looks at the long-run evolution of policy around monopoly and competition in the US and France over the 20th century, using extensive archival research to track the main policy actors who changed it at key moments.
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The book looks at the long-run evolution of policy around monopoly and competition in the US and France over the 20th century, using extensive archival research to track the main policy actors who changed it at key moments.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
“Capitalism forces you to wake up at 7am against your body’s natural rhythms” no that’s Taylorism and if you don’t like living in a society that coordinates effort to ensure a better outcome for all then I don’t think you’ll love the alternatives
November 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
“Capitalism forces you to wake up at 7am against your body’s natural rhythms” no that’s Taylorism and if you don’t like living in a society that coordinates effort to ensure a better outcome for all then I don’t think you’ll love the alternatives
Reposted by Erik Peinert
i really struggle to understand why centre left parties do not like universities, do not like the soft power we wield (imagine getting to educate the children of your geopolitical rivals!!!! IMAGINE!!!). i dont believe that albo, starmer, etc are this stupid, it's got to be hatred. but y.
November 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM
i really struggle to understand why centre left parties do not like universities, do not like the soft power we wield (imagine getting to educate the children of your geopolitical rivals!!!! IMAGINE!!!). i dont believe that albo, starmer, etc are this stupid, it's got to be hatred. but y.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
It is good to see the pushback on Trump lead to real losses for him. But it's hard to be optimistic when he still wields the enormous power of the presidency. ICE is still rampaging, HHS is harming people, the U.S. may be about to sell out Ukraine, the boat strikes...he's still doing so much damage.
November 22, 2025 at 5:48 PM
In normal democracy terms, we've in bad shape and things are getting worse.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
In consolidated authoritarianism terms, we're doing pretty well, as the regime is haphazard, meeting resistance, and growing increasingly unpopular.
Depends on one's perspective. I started using the latter standard in Jan.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Elsewhere everyone’s laughing about Grok’s sycophantic answers about Musk’s intelligence and physical prowess, but the project is to make the truth too expensive (in terms of time and resources) for ordinary people to find. Most users will accept the ‘truth’ provided by the model owners.
November 20, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Elsewhere everyone’s laughing about Grok’s sycophantic answers about Musk’s intelligence and physical prowess, but the project is to make the truth too expensive (in terms of time and resources) for ordinary people to find. Most users will accept the ‘truth’ provided by the model owners.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
If this is what they are doing with the AI, what do you think they are doing with the much simpler and easier to control algorithm that chooses which posts you see and which of your posts are seen by others?
November 12, 2025 at 4:56 AM
If this is what they are doing with the AI, what do you think they are doing with the much simpler and easier to control algorithm that chooses which posts you see and which of your posts are seen by others?
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Yep:
"Caving as they were winning the fight, and as Trump abuses power to hurt regular people (withholding SNAP benefits, canceling flights) supposedly as 'punishment' for the shutdown, sets a nightmare precedent."
"Caving as they were winning the fight, and as Trump abuses power to hurt regular people (withholding SNAP benefits, canceling flights) supposedly as 'punishment' for the shutdown, sets a nightmare precedent."
Yup, and the damage isn’t so much in the story as in the proof of weakness. Trump now knows he has new torture tools to make Dems do what he wants. It’s why at least one of the 7 capitulators oughta be run out of office now, mid session. Get that number down to 6. www.offmessage.net/p/16-thought...
November 10, 2025 at 12:37 PM
Yep:
"Caving as they were winning the fight, and as Trump abuses power to hurt regular people (withholding SNAP benefits, canceling flights) supposedly as 'punishment' for the shutdown, sets a nightmare precedent."
"Caving as they were winning the fight, and as Trump abuses power to hurt regular people (withholding SNAP benefits, canceling flights) supposedly as 'punishment' for the shutdown, sets a nightmare precedent."
Reposted by Erik Peinert
The entire project here is so cynical. "We have to end foreign aid until we fix unemployment and bad schools!"
ok are you working to fix those problems?
"No."
ok are you working to fix those problems?
"No."
November 9, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The entire project here is so cynical. "We have to end foreign aid until we fix unemployment and bad schools!"
ok are you working to fix those problems?
"No."
ok are you working to fix those problems?
"No."
Reposted by Erik Peinert
The Trump administration is now literally *fighting* to deny food to 42 million people, more than a third of them children.
Read that again.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Read that again.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
November 7, 2025 at 2:21 AM
The Trump administration is now literally *fighting* to deny food to 42 million people, more than a third of them children.
Read that again.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
Read that again.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/u...
For no particular reason today
November 6, 2025 at 8:46 PM
For no particular reason today
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Americans admire Singaporean governance but then wonder why they can't get the same level of skilled governance while considering everyone who works for the state evil and unworthy of their salary. Telling!
This is true for all regulators, too. You want the best and brightest to birddog the shitty banks and tax cheats? Pay competitive salaries to the bad guys. Drain the talent out of corporate America.
November 4, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Americans admire Singaporean governance but then wonder why they can't get the same level of skilled governance while considering everyone who works for the state evil and unworthy of their salary. Telling!
Reposted by Erik Peinert
When they say they’d never support Fuentes, ask them about what they used to say about Trump. This is from a now deleted piece on The Blaze from Matt Walsh
November 4, 2025 at 4:34 PM
When they say they’d never support Fuentes, ask them about what they used to say about Trump. This is from a now deleted piece on The Blaze from Matt Walsh
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
November 4, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Border Patrol agent Lairmore testifies that he was not injured by the sandwich, but he felt the impact through his ballistic vest.
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
The sandwich came apart and "kind of exploded" on his chest upon impact, he says.
"I could smell the onions and mustard."
Reposted by Erik Peinert
The problem with most of Yglesias’s advice for Democrats is that Republicans do the opposite and win all the time. So it’s either bad advice or evidence of an asymmetric playing field, which he never addresses.
My working hypothesis is that the reason Matt Yglesias was booed off of Bluesky isn’t because Bluesky is too leftist or too toxic.
It’s because he sucks.
It’s because he sucks.
November 4, 2025 at 1:11 PM
The problem with most of Yglesias’s advice for Democrats is that Republicans do the opposite and win all the time. So it’s either bad advice or evidence of an asymmetric playing field, which he never addresses.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
This magazine just fired all of their politics staffers
We are honored to receive the @rooseveltinstitute.org's 2025 Four Freedoms Award for Freedom of Speech and Expression, and to be among a stellar class of laureates including @wck.org, @cvt.org, and more. Details: tnvge.co/ZMIUg7v
November 3, 2025 at 9:59 PM
This magazine just fired all of their politics staffers
Reposted by Erik Peinert
It’s not ever about the numbers—you can bring insane audience engagement, views, eyeballs to your verticals, shape the conversation in wonderful ways, win awards and on and on
And they still will nuke your job and your entire desk in the name of capital consolidation and kissing the fucking ring
And they still will nuke your job and your entire desk in the name of capital consolidation and kissing the fucking ring
November 3, 2025 at 8:45 PM
It’s not ever about the numbers—you can bring insane audience engagement, views, eyeballs to your verticals, shape the conversation in wonderful ways, win awards and on and on
And they still will nuke your job and your entire desk in the name of capital consolidation and kissing the fucking ring
And they still will nuke your job and your entire desk in the name of capital consolidation and kissing the fucking ring
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Alright I fucking wrote about this. It was apparently necessary to vent my rage about this this afternoon, because that took me two hours to get it all out and onto the page.
November 3, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Alright I fucking wrote about this. It was apparently necessary to vent my rage about this this afternoon, because that took me two hours to get it all out and onto the page.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
You don’t get to name your kid X Æ A-12 and then say “or whatever his name is” about anyone else.
Elon Musk endorses Cuomo for mayor of New York and makes sure to add some racism in there: “…Mumdumi or whatever his name is.”
November 3, 2025 at 9:23 PM
You don’t get to name your kid X Æ A-12 and then say “or whatever his name is” about anyone else.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Once again - just like they don't shut the government down when they control all of its branches & refuse to swear in elected representatives of the other party - normal, mainstream, pro-democracy political parties do not make restricting suffrage the central pillar of their policy platform.
GOP-led states are blocking college students from registering to vote with campus addresses.
In the context of broader attacks on vote-by-mail and early voting, these efforts will systematically disenfranchise young people across the US.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
In the context of broader attacks on vote-by-mail and early voting, these efforts will systematically disenfranchise young people across the US.
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
NAACP sues Virginia officials, accusing them of disenfranchising student voters
The NAACP has sued Virginia state election officials, accusing them of disenfranchising students by rejecting voter registration forms from students that do not include details like dormitory names, room numbers and campus mailbox information.
www.reuters.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Once again - just like they don't shut the government down when they control all of its branches & refuse to swear in elected representatives of the other party - normal, mainstream, pro-democracy political parties do not make restricting suffrage the central pillar of their policy platform.
Reposted by Erik Peinert
This is insane, and now I know why a helicopter buzzing repeatedly woke me up at 4:30am that day. This time they wanted to be done before the traffic started, but the helicopter might've given it away? This cruelty needs to be widely publicized. @marisakabas.bsky.social @georgetownuni.bsky.social
Not just Kavanaugh stops. Kavanaugh ransacking of apartments. open.substack.com/pub/migranti...
SCOOP: Latino Tenants Told to Vacate After Georgetown ICE Raid
Witnesses describe multi-agency sweep at Wisconsin & O St. NW; 10–12 taken; Latino units “tossed;” ammunition left in the hallway, and tenants told to vacate.
open.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM
This is insane, and now I know why a helicopter buzzing repeatedly woke me up at 4:30am that day. This time they wanted to be done before the traffic started, but the helicopter might've given it away? This cruelty needs to be widely publicized. @marisakabas.bsky.social @georgetownuni.bsky.social
Reposted by Erik Peinert
-Sep 30: USDA releases guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 10: USDA tells states to prepare for lapse
-Oct 23: USDA deletes guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 24: USDA says it can’t use contingency fund
-Oct 31: Courts tell USDA to release funds
-Nov 1: no funds go out
-Oct 10: USDA tells states to prepare for lapse
-Oct 23: USDA deletes guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 24: USDA says it can’t use contingency fund
-Oct 31: Courts tell USDA to release funds
-Nov 1: no funds go out
November 3, 2025 at 2:31 PM
-Sep 30: USDA releases guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 10: USDA tells states to prepare for lapse
-Oct 23: USDA deletes guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 24: USDA says it can’t use contingency fund
-Oct 31: Courts tell USDA to release funds
-Nov 1: no funds go out
-Oct 10: USDA tells states to prepare for lapse
-Oct 23: USDA deletes guidance saying they can use contingency fund
-Oct 24: USDA says it can’t use contingency fund
-Oct 31: Courts tell USDA to release funds
-Nov 1: no funds go out
Reposted by Erik Peinert
The messaging debates are disconnected from the fact that bills that Democrats brought to the floor of Congress have provisions that poll extremely well, whereas the bills that the GOP brought to the floor in Trump I and Trump II are among the least popular bills ever seen in modern polling
Utterly bizarre to describe climate change policy as some kind of radical-left albatross.
The IRA contained precisely the kind of 'kitchen table' programs everyone says Democrats should focus on — and they're popular!
The problem was that Americans *didn't know* what the IRA was or who passed it.
The IRA contained precisely the kind of 'kitchen table' programs everyone says Democrats should focus on — and they're popular!
The problem was that Americans *didn't know* what the IRA was or who passed it.
November 1, 2025 at 9:10 PM
The messaging debates are disconnected from the fact that bills that Democrats brought to the floor of Congress have provisions that poll extremely well, whereas the bills that the GOP brought to the floor in Trump I and Trump II are among the least popular bills ever seen in modern polling
Reposted by Erik Peinert
Let’s be clear, most EBT users are white. The reason he’s specifically lying about “weaves” and we’ve seen so many AI fakes of Black women ranting about food stamps is they need to make BW the face EBT because they know many Americans don’t care if Black people suffer, and some actually wish for it.
ROB SCHMITT: People are using SNAP benefits to get their nails done, to get their weaves and their hair. This is a really ugly program.
SEN. RON JOHNSON: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.
SEN. RON JOHNSON: That program needs to be dramatically reformed.
November 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Let’s be clear, most EBT users are white. The reason he’s specifically lying about “weaves” and we’ve seen so many AI fakes of Black women ranting about food stamps is they need to make BW the face EBT because they know many Americans don’t care if Black people suffer, and some actually wish for it.