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Prof. Carl LeVan

@democracyprofdc.bsky.social
359 followers 175 following 822 posts

Professor at American University. Defender of democracy. Lover of decency. Seeker of truth. Author/co-editor of books on Nigeria, constitution-making, and the American national security state. Editorial boards: Governance, Journal of Modern African Studies

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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 17h
Great to have my friend and colleague Prof Isumonah from University of Ibadan #Nigeria visiting to meet with my PhD students, speak to my undergrad class about the challenges of doing interviews in the Niger Delta, and share memories about his excellent contribution to my co-edited Oxford Handbook.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Cynthia Mbalu @nedemocracy.bsky.social 84% #Nigeria ns want to vote but confidence in electoral commission INEC low. Fear of violence major deterrent to voting. From Yiaga polls. Also frustration that only 16.5% youth candidates, and hardly any women. #Africa #Democracy
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Mvemba Dizolele on #Nigeria elections @nedemocracy.bsky.social US security cooperation still too focused on kinetic issues (making it harder to promote peaceful elections). IMET is not designed for election security. Ultimately US is reluctant unless it involves "killing so and so" (#human rights)
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
'Kemi Okenyodo on #Nigeria elections at @nedemocracy.bsky.social - we see large scale displacement, greater pressure on informal IDP camps because formally they don't exist, so risk of disenfranchisement. Campaigns not reaching them, unclear plans for their safety. Safety often mistaken for apathy
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Ken Wallach at @nedemocracy.bsky.social - #Nigeria civil society has improved election monitoring, stopped an illegal 3rd term. And judiciary has overturned some fraud. Yet 2023 observers highlighted divisive rhetoric, sectarian violence, and historically low turnout. Much therefore at stake 2027.
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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
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 · 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 · 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 · 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 · 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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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
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
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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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Awesome to be at the National Book Festival rockin my @wpsa.bsky.social shirt, honoring the leadership for literacy by Barbara Bush, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, and Melania Tr....oh, nevermind
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Wonder how Melania's view is working out. And trying to imagine journalism where someone asks her.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
In Michigan? Check this guy out on Tuesday night
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
My happy place
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A great update to K. David Harrison's fantastic book ""How Languages Die" which I taught nearly 20 years ago. And, as reviewer Ron Charles points out, perfect timing with Trump's silly emphasis on English ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_N...
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Perfect timing...a few days after the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine released a new report on climate change. www.nationalacademies.org/read/28590
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Very thoughtful exploration of theology and the hermeneutics of "good trouble." Though after 65 minutes I did expect a nod to Gandhi or Thoreau, much as MLK did in many of his speeches. Thank you @chq1874.bsky.social for a great Hall of Philosophy program
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Former @altusaid.altgov.info #usaid admin for Latin Am Marcelo Escobari, now of @brookings.edu, at @chq1874.bsky.social - 668,000 job losses in cities with most active ICE enforcement. (Sounds like that helps explain DC's big rise in unemployment) #immigration
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Congressional Budget Office estimates current migration policies will add to deficit, while economic evidence overwhelmingly shows that successful integration reduces deficit by billions. #immigration @brookings.edu
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
@altusaid.altgov.info lawful #immigration pathways need to be real enough and credible enough that people choose to not work with smugglers. So lots of data to challenge the narrative that gives Trump credit
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Former #usaid admin for Latin Am Marcelo Escobari at @chq1874.bsky.social yes encounter went up. But from Dec 2023 to Dec 24 the numbers went DOWN. Why? 1) Migrants had a legal way to come work. 2) more border security 3) stabilization of migrants' home countries. So we have learned what works.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Charles Lane of AEI, showing recent immigration "shocks"+ former #usaid admin for Latin Am Marcelo Escobari responding @chq1874.bsky.social
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Is Pres Trump ready NOW to do some Bayesian updating on #climatechange #globalwarming ? Fellow professors, help me revise this local news about the #July4th here in DC to identify a relationship between carbon emissions and cancelled holiday parties. www.fox5dc.com/video/fmc-f1...
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Happy 4th of July! Even though I just finished reading this, which identifies many omitted facts of history and injustices perpetrated by the west, I'm going to also remember today as the defeat of British imperialism by ragtag rebels, including 5000 Af-Americans.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The world famous "Barbie garden" in Dupont Circle has an appropriate theme: the Reflecting Pool, ruined by Trump's crony corrupt contract. The sign says "I did this". Who says politics can't still be fun?
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Blue = survey respondents overseas
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Jaime Oberlander's survey w/U. Michigan: 43% of former #USAID have found no work. Much more unemployment for older cohorts. "Too young for retirement, too old to be competitive in a saturated job market". Survey reached 18% of former employees laid off. Asians more likely to have found work
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Wrapping up an extraordinary visit to Beijing. Enjoyed reading op-ed in the paper about robot development and China's "supply chain strangulation" as the US falls behind. Also fascinating to read a communist arguing for openness. Trump's vision of capitalism is based on patronage, not competition.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Compelling presentation from Evelyn Huber on structural conditions undermining conditions for good governance, ie declining labor power, decline corporate tax rate, increased political polarization, lower political trust.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Compelling presentation from Evelyn Huber on structural conditions undermining conditions for good governance, ie declining labor power, decline corporate tax rate, increased political polarization, lower political trust.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Thrilled to be presenting my new research (with Assen Assenov) on the relationship between de-delegation of central bank authority and democratic erosion. Prelim results: attacks on independence do predict #democracy #backsliding. Amazing hosts here in #China at Peking University.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Arrest in front of Mary's Center on Georgia Ave, with FBI, Marshals and MPD. Unmarked car below with trademark Texas plates @dcmigrantmutualaid.org
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
What role should #China play in world conflicts? Sen. Shaheen - stop providing targeting information to #Iran, and stop helping #Russia in Ukraine. Every military briefing I attend, they say Xi is just waiting to see if NATO breaks up.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Senator Shaheen - I just returned from tour of northeast. #Immigration policy preventing best and brightest from coming to US, we are falling behind and #China reaching out to them to recruit for innovation
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Sen. Thom Tillis - still strong (bipartisan) support in Senate for alliances. We hear this in Korea, and in Taiwan.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Senator Thom Tillis - whatever agreement comes out of Trump #China visit must be bound by congressional approval. In the past, China was rip off our tech, but pace of their innovation accelerating. For example, catching up on pharmaceuticals.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Senator Shaheen @brookings.edu Congress needs to be more involved in #China policy. New report on "price of retreat." While they are coercing through loans, US is abolishing #USAID and China stepping in with aid to fill the gaps. Not optimistic about what Trump will get out of the meeting.
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Sarah Beran of @hooverinstitution.bsky.social - Trump in #China will probably not touch on the hard issues, ie Iran, or Chinese pressure on Japan. Might see movement on commercial partnerships, opening up export controls on Nvidia chip exports
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Shanta Devarajan - when the World Bank presents data as objective, can't ignore the reality that the information is shared within an (unequal) financial relationship #Foreignaid
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Yuen Yeun Ang - been too focused on micro-interventions and trendy methods like RCT. There have been 1.3 MILLION papers on direct cash transfers. Why? Aligned with wealthy donors' interests in metrics, who are fixated on measuring outcomes. But this is not how countries escape poverty
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Steve Radalet on #ForeignAid - it was never about development itself, that was a means to broader nat security goals, though two often compatible. This built partnerships, facilitated alliances. Trump completely rejects this premise and thinks we were "suckers" @jhu.edu
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Prof. Carl LeVan @democracyprofdc.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
"Future of Foreign Aid" @jhu.edu Yellow = US contribution to global health aid. Myths of aid: US spends too much; mostly supported by Democrats; goes to corrupt govts; is unpopular; others don't do their share
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