New pod out! The US pro-democracy movement has much to learn from Hungary, where the people just toppled their own corrupt right-wing populist autocrat through a peaceful electoral movement. Clip below, full episode at www.thecivicforum.com or anywhere you get your pods.

This is a superb conversation about Chinese politics w/ @rorytruex.bsky.social & @marceldirsus.com

Going live Thursday to talk all things Hungary with @kimlanelaw.bsky.social and Peter Dosa. How do democracies heal after a period of authoritarianism? What can Americans learn from the Hungarian case? Link in replies.

Going live shortly with two greats in the activism space, @jesscraven101.bsky.social and @msifry.bsky.social. We'll discuss the state of the pro-democracy movement and the most effective things people can do to make a difference. Link here: open.substack.com/live-stream/...

. @noamlupu.bsky.social and I talked to @rorytruex.bsky.social about our new book, Keeping Workers Off the Ballot (out this October with @princetonupress.bsky.social) substack.com/@rorytruex/n...

Why Is Working Class Representation So Low?

Interview with Nick Carnes and Noam Lupu

substack.com

Join me on Thursday at 1PM ET for a live session with Nick Carnes and Noam Lupu to find out why working class representation is so low, why that matters, and what can be done to get more workers on the ballot. Link in replies:

Universities should stay ahead of the curve and ban AI glasses from classrooms now

First case of AI glasses cheating caught in NTU entrance exams - Taipei Times

Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan

taipeitimes.com

Starting a new initiative this summer, weekly live events on Substack about the core issues facing our democracy, featuring great speakers. This Thursday, 1PM ET, an hour with the great @jasmine.bsky.social on all things work, AI, and the emerging populist backlash. Event link in replies.

If you credulously do a segment about the vote in California in which you don’t say the president is lying, you’re spreading disinformation to your listeners.

Universities run on what we might call "integrity tasks"—little pieces of work that are expected to be done honestly, by a person, but with minimal policing and oversight.

Thomas Massie has more than half a year left in Congress. I'm looking forward to what he can accomplish.

This was one of my all time favorite episodes-- an hour talking about AI and its implications for authoritarianism, in China and elsewhere, with two of my academic heroes. Links in replies.

Jeff Wasserstrom@jwassers.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Extraordinarily good exchange on the implications of developments in AI for autocratic systems and those who would challenge them, focusing on China but with broad relevance m.youtube.com/watch?v=8WxX... — @rorytruex.bsky.social w/good questions & Molly Roberts & Jennifer Pan w/smart clear answers

Enjoyed going on Marcel's new pod to talk about how China has changed under Xi Jinping, and what the coming years might look like as he ages.

Marcel Dirsus@marceldirsus.com · 4mo ago

🚨 We've got a new episode with @rorytruex.bsky.social! We discuss Xi Jinping's grip on power, Taiwan, Iran and a lot of other things. Watch the full conversation here: youtu.be/zXVjmch-4AE

🚨 We've got a new episode with @rorytruex.bsky.social! We discuss Xi Jinping's grip on power, Taiwan, Iran and a lot of other things. Watch the full conversation here: youtu.be/zXVjmch-4AE

Xi Jinping: The Dictator the West Doesn’t Get | Rory Truex

YouTube video by Dr Marcel Dirsus

youtu.be

CBS turned their news operation into propaganda, kicked Colbert off the air for making too much trouble, and all that just to have Charles Barkley go on the air on one of their most-watched telecasts of the year and say this lmao

Awful Announcing@awfulannouncing.bsky.social · 4mo ago

"The way some of these other immigrants are getting treated in our country right now is a travesty and a disgrace... I think what’s going on in our country — what we’re doing to some of these amazing immigrants, is really unfortunate and it’s really sad." - Charles Barkley on CBS

Yesterday I recorded an ep with @danieltavana.bsky.social, one of the few political scientists with an active research agenda on Iran. We spoke at length about the regime, divisions in Iranian society, the prospects for democracy in Iran. One of my best episodes to date. Link in replies.

Want a thoughtful perspective on Iranian politics and society? Come join me tomorrow at noon EST on Substack Live for a discussion with @danieltavana.bsky.social. We'll talk about the inner workings of the regime, divisions within Iranian society, and prospects for democracy. Session link in replies

"Trash-talking democracy" - a new concept every American needs to know. Budding dictators attack democratic institutions as corrupt, unresponsive, or captured by foreign interests. This provides the pretext for them to “reform” said institutions in ways that erode guardrails in the system.

The Civic Forum 🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Last week I spoke with @marceldirsus.com on his perspective on American authoritarianism, why strongmen are actually weak, and the long term costs of the US-Europe breakup. Link in the replies 👇

Got invited by @rorytruex.bsky.social to discuss American democracy and US-EU relations. I told him both are in crisis because of Trump. But, as always, there's hope. Watch below: youtu.be/fOy1uuKo-vs?...

Can American Democracy Survive Trump? | Marcel Dirsus, The Next Best

YouTube video by Rory Truex

youtu.be

Had the honor of joining Edi on @sinobabble.bsky.social to talk about the dismal state of US-China academic exchange. open.substack.com/pub/sinobabb...

The end of exchange? The state of US-China academic relations w/Rory Truex

Two academic-types talk about academic things and mourn times of better academia past

open.substack.com

The Civic Forum 🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 This week I spoke with Stephen Cash of the @thesteadystate.org on the authoritarian threats posed by Trump, the rise of ICE, how the intelligence community has changed under Trump 2.0, and the consequences for national security and democracy. Link in the replies 👇

Why does the United States need to better understand China? Rory Truex (@princeton.edu) joined us to discuss the high barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy. ▶️ Watch: https://www.ncuscr.org/video/china-expertise/

Why the United States Needs China Expertise

Rory Truex shares barriers to studying China and the consequences a lack of China expertise could have for the future of U.S. foreign policy.

ncuscr.org

You should read this. It is the type of detail that experts in authoritarian regimes see as telling. In this case, state agents are offered impunity from higher ups, and the legal system is rendered inoperative as a mode of accountability. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/u...

Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

nytimes.com

The top fraud experts in the office left. So did...a veteran in prosecuting sex crimes & child pornography cases. Calhoun-Lopez, who oversaw the major violent crimes unit, also departed. “It will take years to build the contacts in state and local law enforcement that has been lost,” Mr. Luger said.

Prosecutors Began Investigating Renee Good’s Killing. Washington Told Them to Stop.

nytimes.com

Name them shame them

The majority of organizing happening in Minnesota isn’t just peaceful, it’s INVISIBLE. Moms showing up who won’t be interviewed on TV, people whose ICE patrols don’t turn into viral video. The grocery runs, the donations, the people filming bc they happen to be there. Please remember this.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: "People have had enough. This is the third shooting in less than 3 weeks. The MPD went the entire year last year recovering about 900 guns from the street, arresting hundreds of violent offenders, and we didn't shoot anyone ... this is not sustainable."

Just staggered by the complete moral void of not even *pretending* to wait for more information before pivoting to “the opponent of the state deserved it.” It is so insanely depraved. Soulless.

From Civic Forum interview with Paul Poast: "Go back to 1895, New York. Find a businessman, bring him to the present, make him president of the United States, and then ask yourself what would make sense to him and what would make no sense to him." open.spotify.com/episode/6836...

Trump and the New International (Dis)order | E21: Paul Poast, University of Chicago

Spotify video

open.spotify.com