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Bernard Tamas

@bernardtamas.bsky.social
464 followers 703 following 62 posts

Professor of Politics | Dad & Husband | Author of book on US Third Parties amzn.to/3BOXiEu | Coined the term "asymmetrical disproportionality" t.co/ZCLSPSUOma | Media commentator on elections | Standard disclaimers (he/him)

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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 16/06/2026
In this @thebulwark.com piece, @bernardtamas.bsky.social (Valdosta State University) argues third parties matter not because they win elections but because they can force major parties to change course, and that the Libertarian Party can play that role against today's GOP. 🔗 Learn more:
thebulwark.com
The Libertarian Party is Trying to De-MAGAfy Itself
Could Republicans ever follow suit?
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 10/06/2026
"While radicalism may sometimes alienate mainstream voters, pragmatism doesn’t necessarily bring political success."
lnk.thebulwark.com
The Libertarian Party is Trying to De-MAGAfy Itself
Could Republicans ever follow suit?
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 10/06/2026
Third parties are grassroots organizations built on enthusiastic membership, and decentralization leaves them vulnerable to hostile takeovers. @bernardtamas.bsky.social on the Libertarian Party's turn towards, and away, from Trump:
lnk.thebulwark.com
The Libertarian Party is Trying to De-MAGAfy Itself
Could Republicans ever follow suit?
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Yes, a common danger faced by third parties. Remember the "hijack" WFP experienced in 2024: www.cityandstateny.com/politics/202...
cityandstateny.com
WFP launches new attack ad against WFP candidate
The progressive third party is accusing Anthony Frascone, the WFP nominee for the 17th Congressional District, of stealing its ballot line.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Very interesting. If I were to reverse engineer what you're proposing, would it be similar to an MMP system with state-wide compensatory seats and a high minimum threshold?
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Michael Evans @mevanspolisci.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
I'm excited to announce this webinar on Wednesday April 29th (4:00PM EST) called "Protecting the Midterm Elections in a Time of Democratic Backsliding." You can learn more about the event and register by following this link: scholars.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/d...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Your point is well taken, and I've posted a lengthier response on your blog post. Plus a query.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Admittedly, my take is based partly on interviews with those involved in the Trilateral Negotiations. They acknowledged not bringing in any electoral systems experts because everything was done in secret. They combined the German & French systems & made huge compromises, leading to a messy outcome
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Agreed. And a caveat: Hungary's electoral system back in 1990 was only unintentionally biased in favor of the party with the highest %vote. It was in 2010 when Orban returned to power, that Fidesz very intentionally biased the system further in their favor, which then led to repeated supermajorities
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
…And this electoral bias has also played a major role in democratic backsliding in India (2014), Poland (2015), and Turkey (2002)
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Great post. Since 1990, Hungary's electoral system has contained a structural (and dangerous) form of electoral bias that causes the party gaining the highest percent of votes to win a far higher percent of legislative seats. This bias is what led to Orban/Fidesz winning a supermajority in 2010…
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
The primary danger here is executive aggrandizement, or when one (authoritarian) party gains enough power to govern without compromising with other parties, and uses that power to dismantle democratic guardrails.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
In a well-designed electoral system, a party with 25% support can join a coalition, but it can't do more than force policy compromises. It can't usually undermine democratic institutions. Confidence in American democracy was predicated on the 2 parties being moderate & democratic. That has collapsed
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Michael Evans @mevanspolisci.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
This should be a great talk by Bernie Tamas, a leading scholar on third parties.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Hi there, I'm not the author of the starter pack, but please feel free to connect with @scholars.org to be included in it. (You may also need to be an existing member of one of SSN's state/local chapters. Information about membership/joining SSN: scholars.org/membership)
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Please register and join us on Tuesday, October 14
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12/07/2025
Elon Musk claims his America party will change US politics. Experts disagree
theguardian.com
Elon Musk claims his America party will change US politics. Experts disagree
The billionaire says the America party will challenge the system, but third-party bids rarely make it far in the US
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Radio interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: I'm not currently convinced that #ElonMusk is serious about mounting a 3rd party challenge. It could, however, change & this is what to look for: Is he making an organized & visible effort to get on the ballot in all, or a few, states?
abc.net.au
Can Elon Musk buy success for his 'America' party? - ABC listen
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has rapidly moved on from his public break-up with President Trump, announcing on X the birth of his own political party, The America Party. But while money certainly talks in Wash...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
My interview today on "The Dan Abrams Show": How Elon Musk's third party could succeed, and what might cause it to fail www.siriusxm.com/player/episo... (subscription to SiriusXM is required) #USthirdparties #elonmusk #theamericaparty
siriusxm.com
Can The America Party Work? | SiriusXM
Elon Musk's Third Party: The America Party
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Therein also lies a fundamental dilemma for any 3rd party that is to be led by Musk. How does Musk distinguish his party's agenda from the GOP's? Eg: if the GOP loses voters owing to Medicare cuts, those voters aren't likely to flock to a billionaire who has called social security a "Ponzi scheme"
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Current GOP is more like a movement - unified & moving to the extreme. Current Dems are more a coalition of interest groups. This makes the GOP an easier target for a moderate 3rd party to attack. Bigger-tent Dems are harder for a 3rd party to challenge (e.g. Greens vs Progressives within the Dems)🧵
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Deutsche Welle interviewed me for their article on Elon Musk's on-again, off-again, third-party ambitions: www.dw.com/en/donald-tr... #thirdparties #elonmusk
dw.com
How Elon Musk's third party threat could disrupt US politics – DW – 07/01/2025
Elon Musk wants to shake up the two-party system in the US after clashing with Donald Trump — but history hasn't been kind to third parties.
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
As it turns out, fascism, massive economic uncertainty, & dismantling the federal government is not especially popular with investors
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
blog.ydhty.com/third-partie...
blog.ydhty.com
Third Parties in American Politics | Professor Bernard Tamas | YDHTY, Episode 50
Why aren't there more third parties in American politics? Blame Television.
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
🧵"So this is how liberty dies..." Trump’s first 3 weeks have been a relentless flood of actions. It's incredibly hard to keep up. I’ve gone through 69 actions & mapped out the pattern - showing how they fall within 5 broad domains consistent with authoritarian states 1/9
This is a venn diagram showing how 69 Trump actions map onto domains covering: undermining democratic institutions; suppressing dissent and media; dismantling social protections; attacking science and education; destabilising the global order. A table version is available here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LZN7QnbSyFfUZJG8Sn1MWpK0VnfBtb0OSyZ1jxP3xBk/edit?usp=sharing
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
The 3rd party vote in congressional elections peaked in 2016, but then dropped in the the next 3 cycles. Libertarians were in a strong position in 2024 to capitalize on GOP's MAGA shift, but instead appeared to self-destruct from internal conflict, including an attempted takeover by a MAGA faction
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 28/01/2025
Thanks for highlighting this. That was a really engaging podcast w/ @dansally.bsky.social back in 2020 - which described a lot of what we're witnessing right now. And yes, fully agree about the need for third parties to run. Especially a centrist challenge against MAGA at the congressional level
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 18/01/2025
Report and thread 🧵 thehill.com/business/509...
thehill.com
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
SSN starter pack: Democracy & Governance Experts bsky.app/starter-pack...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
This is great — thank you and followed. Also adding @jennifermccoy.bsky.social @mevanspolisci.bsky.social @pamelametz.bsky.social
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 06/12/2024
Thank you for putting together this initial starter pack of @scholars.org colleagues. Reposting, and adding @jennifermccoy.bsky.social @mevanspolisci.bsky.social @pamelametz.bsky.social
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 05/12/2024
The U.S. is facing political polarization post #2024Election. In this OpEd, @jennifermccoy.bsky.social writes that proportional representation & better incentives for leaders could help break the cycle of political polarization. Read more in @bloomberg.com: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
How Political Polarization Ends
History shows that, if left untreated, extreme political and social divisions are a mortal threat to democracy.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
As professors, mentoring students is a big perk of our careers. An even greater perk is when we get to work with diligent students who are equally invested in the mentorship. Alyssa Archer is an impressive researcher with a bright future ahead of her #PoliticalScience #polisciresearch @scholars.org
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Dan Slater @dnsltr.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Weak autocracies are far more common than strong autocracies. They are also often far more dangerous and damaging than strong autocracies. Never take hope from an autocrat’s weakness. Instead, prepare for the worst. A 🧵 based on 2 of my books: (1/N)
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Reposted by Bernard Tamas
Graham Macklin @grahammacklin.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Anti-racism campaigner’s London book events cancelled amid threat of far-right violence Freedom of speech groups alarmed after events to promote book by Hope Not Hate employee are called off
theguardian.com
Anti-racism campaigner’s London book events cancelled amid threat of far-right violence
Freedom of speech groups alarmed after events to promote book by Hope Not Hate employee are called off
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 04/11/2024
Besides the potential impact of 3rd party votes in an election likely to have very tight margins, might we also see a "Nikki Haley voter" effect? Brief quotes from me in this Guardian piece, which also carries a good analysis of strategic voting for third parties when it comes to the Gaza crisis
theguardian.com
Third parties could take enough votes from Trump or Harris to affect election
In nail-bitingly close race, protest votes for Jill Stein or RFK Jr – who ended his campaign – could be deciding factors
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 24/10/2024
Our amazing team at the Georgia Chapter of @scholars.org co-organized this timely, bipartisan event on "Election Protection in Georgia" YouTube video segments of the main discussions are posted below #USElection2024 Additional coverage of the event: georgiarecorder.com/2024/10/17/i...
youtube.com
GSU Event (October 2024): "Safeguarding our Democracy: A Bipartisan Discussion on Election Protection in Georgia" - YouTube
Video highlights from an event featuring: Gabriel Sterling (Georgia Secretary of State's Chief Operating Officer); Sara Tindall Ghazal (member, Georgia State...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 15/10/2024
Includes latest data showing ballot access for the main third party candidates by state @juliaazari.bsky.social and I are quoted in this piece on the potential of third-party 'spoilage' www.nytimes.com/2024/10/14/u...
nytimes.com
In a Tight Presidential Race, Third-Party Candidates Present a Wild Card
In every battleground state this year, there is at least one third-party or independent candidate on the ballot. The Democrats have been more openly concerned than Republicans.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 04/10/2024
safevotegeorgia.com "Safeguarding our Democracy: A Bipartisan Discussion on Election Protection in Georgia". Please attend and/or spread the word about this event in Atlanta, on the work being done to ensure a free, fair and orderly election (co-sponsored by the @scholars.org's Georgia chapter)
safevotegeorgia.com
About | Safeguard Democracy
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 08/09/2024
One of the best panels at #APSA2024 Standing room only, and that too at 8 am on a Sunday. tinyurl.com/2ygwy92b Excellent papers and discussions!
tinyurl.com
Democratic Erosion and Resistance: Domestic to International Factors 1
These two panels bring together scholars undertaking new research on the actors, institutions, and structural factors that contribute in interaction to contemporary patterns of democratic erosion or b...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 25/08/2024
RFK Jr. quitting the race wasn't surprising. He ran a campaign antithetical to 3rd party strategies. Policies were confusing & progressively became indistinguishable from Trump's. No distinct or galvanizing issue. My take on News Hour (Al Jazeera English) mediaview.aljazeera.com/video/zvZHRG...
mediaview.aljazeera.com
INTV-BERNARD TAMAS21-230824
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 09/08/2024
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 09/08/2024
Last Week Tonight's production team consulted me for this episode. Very well-researched & amusing. They, however, missed covering RFK Jr.'s baby-bear fiasco by just a few hours, it seems! (Credits shown only in the full-episode streaming on HBO Max)
youtube.com
RFK Jr.: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
John Oliver discusses RFK Jr.’s potential to sway the presidential election, who his views are impacting on and off the campaign trail, and most importantly: what surprising little treat helps John get through the work week. Connect with Last Week Tonight online... Subscribe to the Last Week Tonight YouTube channel for more almost news as it almost happens: www.youtube.com/lastweektonight Find Last Week Tonight on Facebook like your mom would: www.facebook.com/lastweektonight Follow us on Twitter for news about jokes and jokes about news: www.twitter.com/lastweektonight Visit our official site for all that other stuff at once: www.hbo.com/lastweektonight
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 31/07/2024
(2) My electoral bias index (DPIx) measured how much bias was caused by malapportionment in the Electoral College. Malapportionment had no impact from 1872 to 1988. Since then the bias has favored the GOP. Harris will need ~2% more votes than Trump to win the Electoral College
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 31/07/2024
As my journal article in The Forum explained, an inherent pro-GOP bias in the Electoral College makes Dems winning the popular vote and still losing the presidency a very real possibility. This is consistent with Nate Silver's analysis of new polling: www.degruyter.com/document/doi...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 16/07/2024
My co-author and I enjoyed presenting our work on Electoral Bias and Democratic Backsliding (in Hungary, India and Turkey) at the Electoral Integrity Project's 4th Annual Virtual Conference. Video of the panel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jD5c...
youtube.com
ELECTORAL CONTESTATION: ACTORS, LEVELS, & DYNAMICS
Electoral Integrity Project iEIP 2024PANEL 10: ELECTORAL CONTESTATION: ACTORS, LEVELS, & DYNAMICSChair: Sonali Campion (University of East Anglia)Discussant:...
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 12/07/2024
My article (in Der Pragmaticus) on the Biden debacle since the debate www.derpragmaticus.com/r/biden-abse...
derpragmaticus.com
Kann Biden überhaupt noch ersetzt werden? | Der Pragmaticus
Seit Bidens katastrophaler Debatte gegen Donald Trump reißen die Aufforderungen, er möge als Kandidat zurückzutreten, nicht ab. Doch wenn er nicht will, wird es nahezu unmöglich, ihn abzusetzen.
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 02/07/2024
Electoral bias in France consistently favors the party doing best in 1st round (without any partisan/ideological difference) Possible good news for National Rally. But that could also be undermined if the other parties gang up to stop it from winning a majority of seats x.com/bdtamas/stat...
x.com
x.com
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Bernard Tamas @bernardtamas.bsky.social · 29/06/2024
My interview just streamed on Talk Radio One, covering both the future of US third parties and the first presidential debate: files.talkradioone.com/mp3/SS062924... (Full podcast details here: www.talkradioone.com/shows/steven...)
files.talkradioone.com
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