Scott Wolford
@thescottwolford.bsky.social
Professor of Government, UT Austin // Co-director, Correlates of War Project // IR, war, game theory, beer snobbery, rock music, Dune references
Reposted by Scott Wolford
Folks look at you like you’re crazy when you say we’re in the midst of the worst, most unprecedented Article I constitutional crisis in American history, & then it’s another Monday:
The government is shut down & the Speaker of the House won’t open the chamber or the government & is denying a duly elected Democrat her seat. But the president who is monetizing the presidency, bulldozing the White House, & murdering people on the high seas, is allowed to stack the judiciary 🤷♂️🤦♂️
By a vote of 51-46, the Senate invoked cloture on the nomination of Eric Chunyee Tung to be United States Circuit Judge for the Ninth Circuit.
This was a party-line vote. Not voting: Senators Booker, Cotton & Tillis.
This was a party-line vote. Not voting: Senators Booker, Cotton & Tillis.
November 3, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Folks look at you like you’re crazy when you say we’re in the midst of the worst, most unprecedented Article I constitutional crisis in American history, & then it’s another Monday:
Reposted by Scott Wolford
(This also reminds us of the need to introduce some more consistent version-numbering rules, which we'll do in the not-too-distant future.)
a man in a suit and tie is saying fix this .
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is saying fix this .
media.tenor.com
November 3, 2025 at 10:16 PM
(This also reminds us of the need to introduce some more consistent version-numbering rules, which we'll do in the not-too-distant future.)
Reposted by Scott Wolford
We've introduced a minor update to COW's State System Membership Data, updating the coverage through 2024 and making available "blank" dyad-year and directed dyad-year data sets, in addition to the traditional state-year data.
correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/st...
correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/st...
State System Membership (v2024) – The Correlates of War Project
correlatesofwar.org
November 3, 2025 at 10:14 PM
We've introduced a minor update to COW's State System Membership Data, updating the coverage through 2024 and making available "blank" dyad-year and directed dyad-year data sets, in addition to the traditional state-year data.
correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/st...
correlatesofwar.org/data-sets/st...
Reposted by Scott Wolford
The news media needs to start using experts on authoritarianism and pre-WWII history as pundits on stories about the current administration. This is not a joke - just a boring good idea. The rapid shift to fascism needs to be put in context by people who know, not podcasters and politicians.
October 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The news media needs to start using experts on authoritarianism and pre-WWII history as pundits on stories about the current administration. This is not a joke - just a boring good idea. The rapid shift to fascism needs to be put in context by people who know, not podcasters and politicians.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
It's becoming difficult to hide that a major purpose of the Trump administration is siphoning tax revenues from Blue states and redirecting them into subsidies for Red states. At what point does this become intolerable?
Next move from OMB - canceling $8 billion in clean energy funds. You will note, all of the projects are in states led by Democrats
October 1, 2025 at 7:05 PM
It's becoming difficult to hide that a major purpose of the Trump administration is siphoning tax revenues from Blue states and redirecting them into subsidies for Red states. At what point does this become intolerable?
Reposted by Scott Wolford
ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants
Vance: "If you're an American citizen & you've been to the hospital in the last few years, you've probably noticed wait times are especially large & very often somebody who's there in the ER is an illegal alien. Why do those people get healthcare benefits at hospitals paid for by American citizens?"
October 1, 2025 at 6:49 PM
ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants
Reposted by Scott Wolford
Announcing the barest of web redesigns at correlatesofwar.org. Look on our new logo, ye mighty, and despair.
The Correlates of War Project – The Correlates of War Project
correlatesofwar.org
October 1, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Announcing the barest of web redesigns at correlatesofwar.org. Look on our new logo, ye mighty, and despair.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
Pritzker: "People of Illinois, we need your help. Get our your cell phones, record and narrate what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know that this is happening and that we won't stand for it."
September 29, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Pritzker: "People of Illinois, we need your help. Get our your cell phones, record and narrate what you see. Put it on social media. Peacefully ask for badge numbers and identification. Speak up for your neighbors. We need to let the world know that this is happening and that we won't stand for it."
Reposted by Scott Wolford
This is something I observed in China: the political mediocrities were the most defensive, status-conscious and egotistical. The guys with actual talent didn’t demand respect - and also had other options.
there's no grift easier than the conservative pundit, which is one of the big reasons they're all so absurdly thin-skinned.
September 22, 2025 at 8:42 PM
This is something I observed in China: the political mediocrities were the most defensive, status-conscious and egotistical. The guys with actual talent didn’t demand respect - and also had other options.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
I get why people respond to the “legal arguments” for the unitary executive. But since the real theory is obviously “a president I agree with should be above the law, a president I disagree with is even more restricted than the law says,” the “legal” discussion takes place inside a surreal fiction.
September 22, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I get why people respond to the “legal arguments” for the unitary executive. But since the real theory is obviously “a president I agree with should be above the law, a president I disagree with is even more restricted than the law says,” the “legal” discussion takes place inside a surreal fiction.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that."
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Jimmy Kimmel Returns: ABC Ends Suspension Starting Tuesday
Jimmy Kimmel will return to late night on Tuesday
variety.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:22 PM
"Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that."
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Looking forward to seeing Jimmy back on the air.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
And, given claims about the upcoming Rapture, how can I resist plugging this?⬇️⬇️⬇️
Given the way things are right now, I'm going to point people at ALPHA AND OMEGA, my supernatural Middle East thriller. I'm not 100% happy with it, having had some changes forced on me my editorial fiat. But it's more relevant than I ever dreamt it would be.
www.amazon.com/Alpha-Omega-...
www.amazon.com/Alpha-Omega-...
Alpha and Omega
Alpha and Omega - Kindle edition by Turtledove, Harry. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Alpha and Omega.
www.amazon.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM
And, given claims about the upcoming Rapture, how can I resist plugging this?⬇️⬇️⬇️
Reposted by Scott Wolford
Certiorari "before judgment" is how #SCOTUS takes up a full appeal *before* the intermediate federal courts have heard it.
It used to be exceedingly rare. For instance, there wasn't a *single* grant of such expedited review b/w August 2004 & February 2019.
This is the *23rd* such grant since then.
It used to be exceedingly rare. For instance, there wasn't a *single* grant of such expedited review b/w August 2004 & February 2019.
This is the *23rd* such grant since then.
#BREAKING: Over dissents from Justices Sotomayor, Kagan & Jackson, #SCOTUS grants a stay in the Slaughter case (allowing President Trump to remove the last Dem member of the FTC), *and* grants certiorari "before judgment" to decide whether to formally overrule its 1935 ruling in Humphrey's Executor.
September 22, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Certiorari "before judgment" is how #SCOTUS takes up a full appeal *before* the intermediate federal courts have heard it.
It used to be exceedingly rare. For instance, there wasn't a *single* grant of such expedited review b/w August 2004 & February 2019.
This is the *23rd* such grant since then.
It used to be exceedingly rare. For instance, there wasn't a *single* grant of such expedited review b/w August 2004 & February 2019.
This is the *23rd* such grant since then.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
Disney reverses course on Kimmel. Lessons:
-Trump's anti-Constitutional stances, anti-1A in this case, are unpopular
-Popular resistance via expression and spending choices can have an impact
-Many corporate leaders are weak, amoral people who'll bow to threats unless they face countervailing ones
-Trump's anti-Constitutional stances, anti-1A in this case, are unpopular
-Popular resistance via expression and spending choices can have an impact
-Many corporate leaders are weak, amoral people who'll bow to threats unless they face countervailing ones
September 22, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Disney reverses course on Kimmel. Lessons:
-Trump's anti-Constitutional stances, anti-1A in this case, are unpopular
-Popular resistance via expression and spending choices can have an impact
-Many corporate leaders are weak, amoral people who'll bow to threats unless they face countervailing ones
-Trump's anti-Constitutional stances, anti-1A in this case, are unpopular
-Popular resistance via expression and spending choices can have an impact
-Many corporate leaders are weak, amoral people who'll bow to threats unless they face countervailing ones
Reposted by Scott Wolford
This is a terrific piece by @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social. He explains extremely well, at least IMHO, the logic of competitive authoritarianism, where and how its happening here, and that we still have time to stop it.
This is how Trump ends democracy
The past week has revealed Trump’s road map to one-party rule. Will Americans let him follow it?
www.vox.com
September 22, 2025 at 7:45 PM
This is a terrific piece by @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social. He explains extremely well, at least IMHO, the logic of competitive authoritarianism, where and how its happening here, and that we still have time to stop it.
Reposted by Scott Wolford
oh looks like jill lepore wrote the book i thought i might write www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/b...
Jill Lepore Thinks the U.S. Constitution Might Break America
www.nytimes.com
September 20, 2025 at 1:56 AM
oh looks like jill lepore wrote the book i thought i might write www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/b...
Reposted by Scott Wolford
A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say.
This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.
All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.
This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.
All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.
September 17, 2025 at 11:22 PM
A free and democratic society cannot silence comedians because the President doesn’t like what they say.
This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.
All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.
This is an attack on free speech and cannot be allowed to stand.
All elected officials need to speak up and push back on this undemocratic act.