Lucan Way and I have been writing about competitive authoritarianism for more than 25 years. We never thought we'd write this piece. www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/com...

Competitive Authoritarianism in America | Journal of Democracy

The United States has slid into competitive authoritarianism. The slide has been modest and remains reversible—but it is real. Even after Donald Trump, American democracy will remain fragile.

journalofdemocracy.org

This is the way

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 3w ago

"You hired half the Third Reich to staff your office ... If John Lewis were marching today, Mike Collins would be grabbing a billy club" -- here's a supercut of Jon Ossoff SMASHING Mike Collins during tonight's debate

What is the relationship between #foreignannexation threats and domestic support for #secessionist movements? Join @pearl-uoft.bsky.social in discussion with Professor Edana Beauvais on her latest research on October 19th @ericmerkley.bsky.social. www.politics.utoronto.ca/events/how-d...

Is #democracy declining in #Canada? Join @pearl-uoft.bsky.social in discussion with Professor Laura B. Stephenson on her latest research on October 15th @ericmerkley.bsky.social. www.politics.utoronto.ca/events/liste...

On the theme of Canadian elections, I'm delighted to have been able to give a blurb for Eric Merkley's @ericmerkley.bsky.social awesome new book "Polarization, Eh?". You can't understand polarization on either side of the border without this book.

Dan Hopkins@dhopkins1776.bsky.social · 3w ago

It's election day in Québec!

Elite cues are a helluva drug. Sadly.

Nicholas Grossman@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Republicans who see Canada as an enemy has leapt up this year, similar to how Republicans’ approval of Putin shot up in 2016. Virtually no anti-Canada US constituency before this year, and virtually no pro-Putin constituency before 2016. Out of nowhere. Now millions say that’s their position.

The Democratic Party has let a consulting industry exploit elderly donors in its name, wreck its reputation and finances in the process, and walk away rich whether the party wins or loses. When a mirror is held up, the instinct is to break the glass rather than look. On why the press looks away:

The Bulwark Killed an Investigation into Political Fundraising Spam After Its Publisher Took the Consultants’ Side

This is a story about the Democratic Party captured by its consultants, and about what happens when the pro-democracy press is asked to say so.

data4democracy.substack.com

There are four overlapping scandals here: 1. Fundraising spam tactics are hallmarks of elder financial exploitation 2. The Dem establishment is in on it 3. Most of what is raised goes to fundraising consultants 4. Capitulation to legal threats by NYT and The Bulwark on a fully vetted story 🧵👇

Hook and Squeeze

How Democratic consultants, committees, and party leaders built a fundraising spam pipeline that funnels money from a captive pool of elderly donors into their own operations.

data4democracy.substack.com

The fundraising texts you delete are working on someone. It’s infuriating and heartbreaking. An 85yo in Ohio gave more than double the value of his home. A 91yo in an Indianapolis senior facility gave 25K times. The DCCC/DSCC don’t just tolerate the spammers who exploit seniors. They take part.

Hook and Squeeze

How Democratic consultants, committees, and party leaders built a fundraising spam pipeline that funnels money from a captive pool of elderly donors into their own operations.

data4democracy.substack.com

🔥Must read 👇 www.readtheline.ca/p/jen-gerson...

Jen Gerson: Once we were ruthless

Every capitulation is simply teaching Washington that our anger carries no price.

readtheline.ca

New article published at the International Journal of Political Science with @ericmerkley.bsky.social and @stecula.bsky.social academic.oup.com/ijpor/articl...

🚨Deadline approaching! Send in your applications for the Toronto Political Behavior Workshop by Saturday, July 11.🚨 @dktrdr.bsky.social @ericmerkley.bsky.social @mjdonnelly.bsky.social @sborwein.bsky.social

Chagai Weiss@chagaiweiss.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🚨The Toronto Political Behaviour Workshop is back for its 12th edition! Join us on Nov. 13–14, 2026 @UofT! We welcome paper/poster proposals on any topic in political behaviour, broadly defined! 📅 Submission Deadline: July 11. Apply here: utorontops.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

A monumental loss. Ran was not only a trailblazing and brilliant scholar; he was also a remarkably generous colleague and, what's more, a dear friend. www.politics.utoronto.ca/news/memoria...

new WP (w/ @ntd.bsky.social): we use the case of Christian nationalism to make a broader point about "niche ideologies" in mass opinion research, and why you shouldn't scale them the same way you'd scale more general attitudes Link: osf.io/wbdut/files/...

How polarized is #Canada? More from @uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social @ericmerkley.bsky.social on his latest book with former provincial cabinet minister John Milloy. centreforpublicethics.substack.com/p/how-polari...

How polarized is Canada?

…And Should We Worry?

centreforpublicethics.substack.com

Q&A w/ Paul Wells: "People agree with anti-democratic actions if it's their team doing it. That leaves us vulnerable." @uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social @ericmerkley.bsky.social on “affective polarization,” the topic of his #newbook. #cdnpoli paulwells.substack.com/p/the-q-and-...

The Q&A: "People agree with anti-democratic actions if it's their team doing it. That leaves us vulnerable"

UofT prof Eric Merkley on whether the party you don't vote for just sucks, and why a lot of people think it does

paulwells.substack.com

🚨The Toronto Political Behaviour Workshop is back for its 12th edition! Join us on Nov. 13–14, 2026 @UofT! We welcome paper/poster proposals on any topic in political behaviour, broadly defined! 📅 Submission Deadline: July 11. Apply here: utorontops.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Thanks to Jamie Druckman, Richard Johnston, Peter Loewen, and all those who came out to the launch of “Polarization, Eh?” Now available to purchase. It is also freely available on @uoftpress.bsky.social thanks to a grant from the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Link 👇

📢Book launch for 'Polarization, Eh?' on April 21st in Sid Smith Hall at @uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social. It will feature comments by Jamie Druckman, Richard Johnston and Peter Loewen. Come on out!

📢Book launch for 'Polarization, Eh?' on April 21st in Sid Smith Hall at @uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social. It will feature comments by Jamie Druckman, Richard Johnston and Peter Loewen. Come on out!

👀 👀 👀

Finally coming out this month! Also available to pre-order on Amazon www.amazon.ca/Polarization...

uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social@uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social · 8mo ago

The new book by @uoft-poli-sci.bsky.social @ericmerkley.bsky.social 'Polarization, Eh?' explores the causes and consequences of the growing affective #polarization and inter-partisan hostility in #Canada. utppublishing.com/doi/book/10....

New w/@scottclifford.bsky.social. Lots of work uses agree-disagree scales, and a lit review shows these are 1) frequently just measured in one direction (agree = higher trait) and 2) correlated with each other. This has potentially big issues for conclusions. link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Acquiescence Bias and Criterion Validity: Problems and Potential Solutions for Agree-Disagree Scales - Political Behavior

Political Behavior - Scholars frequently measure dispositions like populism, conspiracism, racism, and sexism by asking survey respondents whether they agree or disagree with statements...

link.springer.com

In November, LISPOP hosted @ericmerkley.bsky.social to present research from his forthcoming book, "Polarization, Eh? The Causes and Consequences of Affective Polarization in Canada". We have since compiled a policy brief that outlines the major themes from the event! scholars.wlu.ca/lispop/7/

Seems relevant

Andrew Heiss@andrew.heiss.phd · 10mo ago

Perennial reminder of this excellent paper about how secret police forces are swamped with underachievers “We don’t want clever people. We want mediocrities.” (Ungated summary here ajps.org/2019/10/08/w...)

Wow, talk about unprecedented. The Fed Chairman makes official statement that the President is using criminal charges to threaten him over monetary policy.

Federal Reserve@federalreserve.gov · 10mo ago

Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG... www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...

New post-doc position working with me in a new lab at @snfagora.bsky.social ! It's one year appointment, renewable for up to 5 years. The position includes data analysis and independent research, mentorship of lab members, and participation in SNF Agora Institute life. apply.interfolio.com/178796

Top of 9. One run lead. Unreal

Go Jays!!

Join us next Thursday, November 6 for our event on political polarization and social media featuring @ericmerkley.bsky.social ! More details can be found at www.eventbrite.ca/e/social-med...

The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy@lispop.bsky.social · last yr.

LISPOP will be hosting "Social Media and Political Polarization in Canada: Perspectives from Political Science, Economics and Psychology" feat. Eric Merkley and commentary by Anne Wilson and Juan Morales on November 6 at 11:30am. Register today - www.eventbrite.com/e/social-med...