iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Xi just visited Washington week. If you want background on China's foreign policy and #autocratization, there's a great resource now missing from the International Republican Institute's website "The Authoritarian Nexus: How #Russia and #China undermine democracy worldwide."

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

The military junta in #Niger faced a coup attempt this week. In the spirit of sovereignty and nationalism in resistance to foreign imperialism, General Tiani called upon Russia to save his regime (which too many analysts are quick to believe is popular). www.worldpoliticsreview.com/niger-coup-j...

worldpoliticsreview.com

A Rebellion in Niger Underscores the Fragility of the Sahel’s Juntas

Unequal treatment and battlefield losses helped fuel the revolt. Now, the junta’s purge of suspected mutineers risks deepening mistrust.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

This picture, from the viewing of the new #Nigeria film "MKO" at @americanuniversity.bsky.social means a lot to me. Adotei Akwei lobbied me 30 years ago on Cap Hill about Abacha killing Oogoni environmental activists in Niger Delta. Nneka Achapu is part of a new generation of #humanrights leaders

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

The costs of food and fuel are up in the US. The party that campaigned on "family values" in the 1990s is ordering ICE to separate parents from children, and 760,000 people just lost their health care. Join @ips-dc.org for a discussion of this "perfect storm." ips-dc.org/event/people...

ips-dc.org

A People’s Briefing: The Perfect Storm of Increasing Economic Insecurity - Institute for Policy Studies

A webinar to analyze the policy choices that are pushing millions of Americans into increasingly precarious conditions.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

So the intelligence community should be tasked with a damage assessment, to see how much damage the White House did to itself. "The White House banned Politico, citing anonymous sources. It provided the quotes." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

washingtonpost.com

The White House banned Politico, citing anonymous sources. It provided the quotes.

In a letter defending its ban of Politico, the White House critiqued a report based on a press call it conducted, where reporters were told not to name the speaker.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

In 2016 I used the leaked tax returns to compare his debt to African nations, and found that he had more debt than Mugabe's Zimbabwe in the 1990s. So he's come a long way.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Instead, 760,000 people are losing access to health care through the Affordable Care Act based on no objective criteria or identified problem. (There could be some "ghosts" but that has not been established for any of them.) It's almost like Vance wants the Democrats to take back House and Senate

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Last fall, a speaker from Human Rights Watch at my university characterized these payments as human trafficking. Now we know more about the scale of the inhumanity "How Trump turned a #refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation" Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...

washingtonpost.com

How Trump turned a refugee bureau into a $410 million deportation operation

Inside the secret deals powering the president’s push to deport migrants to countries not their own.

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Union of Concerned Scientists @ucs.org · 21/09/2026

Concerned about the midterms? Get the latest from UCS and Protect Democracy on the threats we face from the Trump administration, what to watch for in the coming weeks, and ways you can take action to ensure a fair, free, and safe election this November. Info & RSVP: act.ucs.org/4z3buXF

Promotional graphic for Science Rising National Call on election threats featuring speaker Corey Dukes, scheduled for September 24, 8-9 p.m. ET.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

As the @nytimes.com has been reporting, some DC think tanks are torn between their ideas and traditional lust for access to the president. So good to see CATO not cowering in the face of Trump's tariff taxes. Also reveals Dems need to explain how tariffs ->cost of living www.cato.org/blog/75-amer...

cato.org

75% of Americans Say Tariffs Will Be Important to Their Vote in the Midterms

74% Say Trump’s Tariffs have Raised Prices; 53% Say Tariffs Have Weakened the Economy, 70% Say the President Needs Congressional Approval to Impose Tariffs

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Join us at @americanuniversity.bsky.social on Wednesday 9/23 for #Democracy Denied: #Nigeria Annulled 1993 Election and its Lasting Legacies. I'll participate in a discussion with the director of a new film "MKO", Adotei Akwei, Nneka Achapu and Folabi Olagbaju. Join us for networking and learning

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Can someone just explain to the president that if he tears down the #KennedyCenter in defiance of the law and court orders, that his successor can feel free to to the same to his arch, which no one wants?

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Amee Vanderpool @girlsreallyrule.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

It can get a little overwhelming deciding which Democrats need your grassroots donations the most, so here are the most competitive Senate races and how I will be donating: shero.substack.com/publish/post...

shero.substack.com

Help Flip the Senate Blue

As we head into the last few weeks before this monumental November election, there are some Democratic campaigns for Senate that could really use some thoughtful and strategic grassroots donations.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

One year after the destruction of #USAID by Musk and a team of computer hackers who had never been involved in development, State Dept is learning that it lacks the expertise to carry out its new mission (which was taken OUT of State Dept w/bipartisan support in 1990s). mailchi.mp/modernizeaid...

mailchi.mp

New MFAN Policy Commentary: One Year After USAID, the State Department Should Invest in Expert Local Staff and Partners

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Adam Isacson @adamisacson.com · 17/09/2026

She's on the moderate end of the House Republican caucus on immigration. But she voted for the stunningly massive expansions of ICE—with weaker oversight—in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the 2026 Secure America Act. That speaks louder than any video.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The last time the Dems had a lead this large heading into the midterms was 2018. And by some analyses this is bigger than the lead the GOP had going into 1994. BUT the election hasn't happened yet. Ya'll remember 2016 right? PS:Very similar poll data from NYT www.realclearpolling.com?utm_campaign...

realclearpolling.com

2026 Latest Election Polls and Political Insights | RealClearPolling

Explore up-to-date 2026/2028 election polls on RealClearPolling. Gain valuable insights into the evolving political landscape and stay ahead of the latest trends.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Excellent overview of women's under-representation in #Nigeria politics and recent reforms to address them. (Read with: my essay in Oxford Handbook of Nigerian Politics) "Young Nigerian women want to go into politics – party rules and older men keep them out" theconversation.com/young-nigeri...

theconversation.com

Young Nigerian women want to go into politics – party rules and older men keep them out

It’s not lack of ambition that keeps young women out of politics.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Heading to Rome 2027 for @ipsa.org ? Dr. Idris Oladokun is looking for panelists to explore subnational #governance in #Africa. "This panel takes the gap between formal accountability and its actual exercise as its organising concern." Check out the call here: wc2027.ipsa.org/wc/panel/sub...

wc2027.ipsa.org

Subnational Governance in Africa: The Search for Accountability

Africa's democratic future is increasingly decided below the national level with power in the hands of subnational governments: governors and provincial administrations, county and local authorities, ...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

So let me get this straight: President Trump has won 0 out of 23 cases demanding voter data? That is almost as bad as his record litigating the 2020 election. Excellent overview of today's SCOTUS decision on mail in ballots, by @amyhowe.bsky.social www.scotusblog.com/2026/09/supr...

scotusblog.com

Supreme Court denies Trump administration’s request to implement parts of rule on mail-in voting

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Just signed @democracyinafrica.bsky.social petition on cancellation of passports of #Zambia govt critics. "We specifically protest against the use of such action against Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa, a prominent historian, analyst of Zambian political affairs, and Senior Lecturer in History" c.org/RddD7fD7Dq

c.org

Sign the Petition

Overturn the cancellation of the passports of Dr. Sishuwa Sishuwa and other Zambians

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026

Some details: Kremlev, the Russian who sponsored Don Jr's wedding, is a former member of the Night Wolves biker gang, went to China with Putin and is personally sanctioned by Ukraine for his role in abducting children www.propublica.org/article/dona...

propublica.org

Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch

The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The part of this interview where I got stuck was when he said "imagine a university department with free food." I was lost. open.spotify.com/episode/0ab4...

open.spotify.com

The A.I. Researcher Whose Rebellion Is Changing Everything

The Daily · Episode

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Trump called (former) #Fed Chair Powell “too angry, too stupid and too political” to keep the job, and said “I’d love to fire his ass.” In new research w/Assenov, we compare discuss behavior of various autocrats, and show how central banks are a critical line of defense against democratic #erosion

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Being held in contempt is no small matter. Just ask Steve Bannon. So Trump will resist but the effectiveness of a "block" would be diluted by compelling and clearly explained evidence of corruption, including the privatization of foreign policy (noting that "real" diplomats are just waiting to vent)

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Indivisible ❌👑 @indivisible.org · 12/09/2026

One year after announcing “Donald Trump is in the Epstein files,” Elon Musk is now expected to spend over $100 million on the midterms to help Trump cling to power. We can’t match Musk’s money, but we’ve got something he will never have: Friends — and the power of We The People on our side.

A screengrab of Elon Musk’s tweets from June 5, 2025: “Time to drop the really big bomb:

@realDonaldTrump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public.”

“Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out.”

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Starting from basic definitions, and a discussion of different measures of govt control over economy, @cullenhendrix.bsky.social has a neat analysis about the rise of socialism...accelerating int 2025 under Trump. www.piie.com/blogs/realti...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Attacking Harvard, UPenn, Columbia et al. is part of "The Same Ol' #Authoritarian Playbook". #Hungary is now busy repairing the damage done by Orban's illiberal government. @insidehighered.com @alliancehighered.bsky.social www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...

insidehighered.com

That Same Ol’ Authoritarian Playbook

Throughout history, autocrats have gone after higher ed finances to control institutions’ culture.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

My university just lost a big case in court, where they collaborated with police to prosecute a student exercising free speech on campus. (The narrative changed once they learned there was a video of her arrest.) AU still owes Elaf Hasan though americanuniversityaaup.wordpress.com/2026/08/02/a...

americanuniversityaaup.wordpress.com

AAUP Leadership Statement on the Dismissal of the Criminal Case Against Elaf K. Hasan

Executive Summary On March 28, 2025, Ms. Elaf Hasan was arrested after silently displaying a Palestinian flag during the inauguration of President Jonathan Alger. She subsequently faced three…

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

According to @washingtonpost.com "The deployment of troops in Washington, which is expected to last through the end of Trump’s second term, is set to cost an additional $1.4 billion from October through January 2029." Also, its unpopularity undermines any benefits www.aclu.org/press-releas...

aclu.org

The ACLU and Affiliates Nationwide Underscore Urgent Need for National Guard to Leave the Nation’s Capital | American Civil Liberties Union

In a letter addressed to the American public, ACLU and affiliates warn prolonged deployments carry nationwide costs and risk normalizing military...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Anyone following the "Mecca Joint Defense Agreement" just announced among Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan? Reflecting upon the #APSA2026 discussions on international organizations and #autocratization -- and the need for more research on how and why new IOs keep popping up

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Paging college administrators everywhere. The punch line is that this kid had AI write the proposal to get college credits too...!

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

APSA @apsa.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Panels and sessions start tomorrow at 8:00 am. #APSA2026

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

I missed APSA last year because of my admin burdens. But I was just telling someone last night how we have been filling the room for 25 years -- APCG has been though generations of leadership and changes and it still brings the love

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Reposted by Prof. Carl LeVan

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 06/09/2026

NEW ISSUE from @ejisbisa.bsky.social - European Journal of International Security - Volume 11 - Issue 3 - August 2026 - cup.org/4fPdcnu #OpenAccess

Cover of the "European Journal of International Security" with text highlighting the new issue.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

John Ishiyama at #apsa2026 on democratic #erosion at subnational level in US. Variation between Dem and Republican controlled states start to differ dramatically after 2010

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Democratization @democratization.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

New special issue: “The rise of authoritarian informationalism” ed. by Lisa Garbe (@wzb.bsky.social) + @seraphinemaerz.bsky.social. It brings together work on how digital and analogue tools are reshaping authoritarian power across borders and regime types. Link: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

tandfonline.com

The rise of authoritarian informationalism: escalating surveillance, manipulation, and control

The past decade has witnessed a transformation in the study of authoritarian governance, with increasing attention paid to how digital technologies reshape strategies of regime survival. While init...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Marienne Kneuer from Dresden at #APSA2026 panel on "rebuilding democracy in shifting intl order" we need to clarify distinction between #erosion (US) and autocratization (Turkey). See her new essay on foreign policies in @democratization.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#APSA2026 panel on "rebuilding democracy in shifting intl order" Yuko Kasuya of Waseda U - Japan interesting success case of resilience partly due to small migrant population but also low interest in politics; Taiwan's influence will rise. China as a threat mobilizes democratic supporters

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

At the #APSA2026 panel on "Transnational Repression: the Autocrats' Playbook" we had a healthy discussion about whether extrajudicial killings overseas by democracies (like the US after 9/11) should be conceptually similar to, classified as, a form of transnational repression.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Watch for my new collaborative research on central bank independence and democratic erosion. Independence is highly correlated with democracy.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Forthcoming book on "autocrats playbook" transnational repression: finding that it increases abroad when protest occur at home, reports Thomas Demmelhuber FAU-Germany. And Kelsey Norman reports very little European response to the growing problem, big impact on Egyptians who fled 2011-2013 #apsa2026

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Great exploration of transnational repression infrastructure (rather than incidents) by Iris Girgin of Univ Chicago.

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

At #APSA2026 panel on "authoritarianism, repression and control networks" just had a chance to plug my colleague's work: Tongtong Zhang is finishing a huge dataset on transnational #repression. Also liked panelists' analysis here about need to study "infrastructure" of repression not just incidents

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

How are people resisting autocratization? How have dictators exploited global decline of democratic norms? How should we measure democratic #erosion? I'll be sharing notes on the latest research at from #apsa2026. And excited to be co-leading a new working group on globalizing #democracy protection

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