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ISMA

@ismapolicy.bsky.social
907 followers 7 following 6 posts

Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, a think tank committed to opposing the worldwide slide into illiberalism. Publisher of @theunpopulist.net. www.ismaglobal.org

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Berny Belvedere @bernybelvedere.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Please read @shikhadalmia.bsky.social's remarkable opening address at #LibCon2026
theunpopulist.net
The World Needs America to Save Its Liberal Democracy
If this system of government dies in the land of its birth, it will have a hard time surviving elsewhere
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ISMA @ismapolicy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Use #LibCon2026 and we’ll do our best to share it!
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Shikha Dalmia spent 30 years in policy journalism, libertarian and skeptical of both sides. Then Trump arrived, and she recognized "a much more fundamental threat to liberal institutions and liberal values than we had ever encountered." Worse, a movement of intellectuals emerged to give.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Shikha Dalmia opens LibCon 2026 by redrawing the map: not left vs. right, but liberal vs. illiberal — and a global liberal movement that excludes the illiberal extremes on both sides. #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Adam Serwer of The Atlantic on why party commitments follow the vote: with Black voters disenfranchised, "there was no constituency for Black rights," and the GOP began moving away from defending multiracial democracy. #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Adam Serwer at LibCon 2026: the elites who benefited most from liberal democratic capitalism "have all conspired to help destroy it in pursuit of short-term profits." His takeaway—protect the capitalists from themselves. #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Francis Fukuyama at LibCon 2026 on the closed loop of oligarchic power: business empire buys media empire, media buys political power, and power protects the business. "Once you had political power, you could use that to protect your business empire." #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Félix Maradiaga, imprisoned in Nicaragua, learned firsthand that authoritarian regimes coordinate: "It's not theoretical, they do have a system." Democracies, he argues, remain episodic by comparison. #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Bob Rae at LibCon 2026 on the day US diplomacy flipped: Washington asked Canada and others to withdraw a Ukraine resolution so it could move a weaker one that "didn't even mention the word aggression." The world turned upside down. #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Anne Applebaum on why democratic opposition so often falters: "Every time you have an autocratic regime, you have almost automatically the shattering of the opposition." She traces the pattern from Poland to the US. From "Building a Global Liberal Coalition." #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
At LibCon 2026, Bob Rae (University of Toronto) makes the case that the liberal story isn't complicated: human dignity, foundational freedoms, and the rule of law. "Those are not complicated ideas." #LibCon2026
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Anne Applebaum at LibCon 2026 on how authoritarian drift breeds graft: strip the rule of law, independent courts, and good information, and "you almost immediately get corruption." Gut the civil service, and government gets worse. #LibCon2026
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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
once again tapping the sign: please support independent, worker run, reader funded newsrooms how and where you are able to.
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ben chambers 🏴 @benjaminchambers.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
good encapsulation of how concentrations of wealth are inimical to free markets
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Derek Barker @dwmbarker.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Could not agree more on the need for a new alignment. The illiberal coalition has already figured this out. Great to be at #LibCon doing this work.
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Jen @cassiciacum.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
This is correct in my experience. This also gives me a glimmer of hope for the future. I have seen so much destruction at my university. I know that rebuilding will extend far beyond my retirement. But it will happen.
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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
www.theunpopulist.net/p/the-world-...
theunpopulist.net
The World Needs America to Save Its Liberal Democracy
If this system of government dies in the land of its birth, it will have a hard time surviving elsewhere
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 17/07/2026
🔥🔥 Live pod with @aaronrosspowell.com, @jamellebouie.net, @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social, @dsallentess.bsky.social
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Liberalism.org @liberalism.org · 16/07/2026
#LibCon2026 kicks off today at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, bringing together scholars, policymakers, and advocates for two days of conversation on the future of liberal democracy. If you're in town for the conference, come find the Liberalism.org booth. We'd genuinely love to meet you.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 16/07/2026
Shikha Dalmia opens LibCon 2026 with a clear-eyed charge: "Authoritarians can destroy institutions, they can't build them." The work of rebuilding falls to liberals—and the window to see clearly is now. #LibCon2026
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Trudeus @trudeus.gg · 16/07/2026
#LibCon2026 kicking off well
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Kettering Foundation @kettering.org · 16/07/2026
We’re proud to support #LibCon2026 in Washington, DC.
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Joe Gitchell @jgitchell.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
How does this Iowan prepare for @shikhadalmia.bsky.social and friends’ #LibCon2026 and the hot and steamy DC weather? ✅ @raygunsite.com #LocalMenace shirt ✅ Iowa Golf Association towel to mop up sweatiness. #winning
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Ian Bassin @ianbassin.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
The future will look different. But the values that underpin liberal democracy remain essential. Credit to @bernybelvedere.bsky.social @shikhadalmia.bsky.social for this important conference on how we make sure they adapt and endure. We @protectdemocracy.org are proud sponsors.
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Berny Belvedere @bernybelvedere.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
This week 😮 conference.ismaglobal.org @ismapolicy.bsky.social @theunpopulist.net
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 08/07/2026
📢 Gen Z has questions. She has the data. @racheljanfaza.bsky.social — founder of The Up and Up — joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 09/07/2026
He started a politics newsletter at 9. His one subscriber? His mom 😂 Now Congress reads Gabe Fleisher every morning. He joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 10/07/2026
📢 NEW SPEAKER: Kristie De Peña — one of DC's leading immigration-policy minds — joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC.
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Janet Bufton 🍁🌻 @janetbufton.ca · 11/07/2026
OK, who's going? Try to say hi during one of the micro breaks.
A website banner reads:

Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism
Liberalism for the 21st Century 

The banner is for a conference happening next week in DC.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 11/07/2026
Liberal democracy's future depends on winning younger voters. What are their core concerns? Can we keep them from drifting toward illiberal alternatives? The great @sarahlongwell25.bsky.social will moderate a panel featuring @racheljanfaza.bsky.social, @destiny.gg, and Gabe Fleisher at LibCon2026.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 11/07/2026
Free speech is a bulwark against censorship—but it has also become a cover for dehumanization. Can free speech absolutism coexist with strong social norms against hate speech? @masnick.com, @jonrauch.bsky.social, @cathyyoung63.bsky.social, and @alexabdo.bsky.social will explore at LibCon2026.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 13/07/2026
STATE CONSTITUTIONS ARE THE NEXT LINE OF DEFENSE. The Brennan Center's Kathrina Szymborski Wolfkot joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 13/07/2026
Trump is testing how far unchecked presidential power can go. That's why, at LibCon2026, @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social, Bob Bauer, @lizagoitein.bsky.social, and @protectdemocracy.org's Justin Florence will ask: What would a presidency accountable to voters and the Constitution actually look like?
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 13/07/2026
Checks and balances were built to constrain tyranny. Trump has opposed every one of them. In a few days, at LibCon2026, @jwmueller-pu.bsky.social, @adamserwer.bsky.social, @frankfukuyama.bsky.social, and Erica Frantz will discuss with us the current state of authoritarian consolidation in America.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 14/07/2026
How do democracies reckon with their darkest chapters? Boston College historian Devin Pendas wrote the book on it. He joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 14/07/2026
Congress has abdicated a lot of its power to the president. The Supreme Court is seen as just another partisan actor. At #LibCon2026, Aziz Huq, @qjurecic.bsky.social, @greggnunziata.bsky.social, and Stuart Gerson will ask: Can Congress and the courts be rebuilt to actually check power again?
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 14/07/2026
LibCon2026, the premier annual gathering for the liberal democratic movement, is just days away. If the work we do at @ismapolicy.bsky.social and at The UnPopulist resonates with you, consider becoming a subscriber:
theunpopulist.net
Subscribe to The UnPopulist
Defending liberal democracy against authoritarianism in the U.S. and around the world. Click to read The UnPopulist, by Shikha Dalmia, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 29/06/2026
Shikha Dalmia highlights the essential elements of liberal democracy: impartial justice, accountability, and an independent civil society. LibCon 2026: conference.ismaglobal.org?utm_source=b...
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 29/06/2026
📢 NEW SPEAKER: @stanveuger.bsky.social — AEI economist and one of the sharpest voices on what populism actually costs — joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC. conference.ismaglobal.org?utm_source=b...
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 01/07/2026
She was the highest-ranking woman in Reagan's White House. Now she's fighting for immigrants 🇺🇸 Linda Chavez joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC. conference.ismaglobal.org?utm_source=b...
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 02/07/2026
America's immigration system is broken—feeding populism and a border police state at odds with liberal values. At #LibCon2026, we're asking @radleybalko.bsky.social, @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social, Linda Chavez, and Kristie De Peña to tell us what a rational, humane system would look like instead.
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 02/07/2026
Authoritarians are learning from each other across borders. Can defenders of liberal democracy do the same? LibCon2026 takes on that mantle with @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu, @robertguest.bsky.social, Félix Maradiaga, and @bobbyrae48.bsky.social
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Looking forward to this panel!
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 02/07/2026
🚨 SPEAKER DROP 🚨 @qjurecic.bsky.social — The Atlantic staff writer and Lawfare alum — joins LibCon2026, July 16–17 at The Watergate in DC. conference.ismaglobal.org?utm_source=b...
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 24/06/2026
While LibCon2026's opening panel will take stock of authoritarian consolidation in the U.S. 🇺🇸 ... the panel immediately following it will go global 🌎 And its got a truly formidable lineup: @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu @robertguest.bsky.social @bobbyrae48.bsky.social Félix Maradiaga Don't miss this!
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ISMA @ismapolicy.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
LibCon2026 is just weeks away. Come check it out: conference.ismaglobal.org
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 23/06/2026
Check this out 👇 The opening panel at LibCon2026 confronts the question that defines this moment: how far down the authoritarian consolidation pathway has the U.S. already gone? @ismapolicy.bsky.social @jwmueller-pu.bsky.social @adamserwer.bsky.social @frankfukuyama.bsky.social
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Shikha Dalmia @shikhadalmia.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
LibCon2026 by @theunpopulist.net's parent organization @ismapolicy.bsky.social is around the corner. Our star-studded lineup is an embarrassment of riches (mixed metaphor, I know). Get the early bird special now and avoid FOMO. We sold out weeks before last 2 times open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...
open.substack.com
LibCon2026 Is Coming, July 16–17
Register now and avail yourself of our early-bird special to hear and meet the world's most brilliant and courageous liberal thinkers and activists
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 22/05/2026
LibCon2026, organized by @ismapolicy.bsky.social, is the most important gathering of liberal thinkers anywhere in the world. This year's theme: not resistance, but reconstruction. What do liberals actually build when the authoritarian moment passes? July 16–17 in D.C.
theunpopulist.net
LibCon2026 Is Coming, July 16–17
Register now and avail yourself of our early-bird special to hear and meet the world's most brilliant and courageous liberal thinkers and activists
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The UnPopulist @theunpopulist.net · 27/10/2025
The panel on the philosophical roots of illiberalism from @ismapolicy.bsky.social's LibCon2025 is up—and it's really informative and insightful. Give it a read. @andycraig.bsky.social, @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social, @lkatfield.bsky.social, @tomgpalmer.bsky.social
theunpopulist.net
The Neo-Right Rejects Liberalism Because It Wants to Rule by Brute Force Not Consensus: A LibCon2025 Panel Discussion
Its slams on a neutral liberal state are sophistic and stem from a deeply nihilistic worldview
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