Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 02/09/2026Unfortunately I will not have enough room in my suitcase for multiple belts. Too many Boston Celtics hats to pack. 050
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 26/08/2026Bought an induction range from Samsung a couple of years ago and was able to get an education discount using my .edu email! Induction is great, zero regrets about the switch from gas. 021
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanRyan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 25/08/2026The 2026-27 Academic Year Schedule for the new APD Workshop Series is almost full. We have one slot left in March of 2027. I'm so grateful to all of the presenters, discussants, and co-organizers who have helped make this idea a reality. 🧵 with the schedule below. sites.google.com/maine.edu/ap...sites.google.comAPD Workshop Series - Schedule2026-2027 Academic Year Schedule All meetings run from 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern. A Zoom link and copies of works to be presented will be sent via email to everyone on the mailing list. Presenters and d... 297
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 14/08/2026Many policy problems that are generally described as problems of authority (the people who want to do the thing aren't in positions of power) are problems of capacity (the government doesn't have the resources and ability to do the thing). 130
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanJulia Poe @juliapoe.bsky.social · 13/08/2026When I think about trans people in sports, I don’t think about lobbies or legislation. I think about my friends. Wrote about pick-up hoops, queer community and love:chicagotribune.comColumn: When I think about transgender people in sports, I think about my friendsDespite the rabid fixation upon the concept of trans women in sports, those who beat the drum the loudest for exclusive policies rarely seem to care about trans people themselves. 20688216
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanRyan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 07/08/2026The fall schedule of the newly-launched APD Workshop Series is taking shape. We are really excited to be launching this initiative. Please sign up for the mailing list and consider joining us! sites.google.com/maine.edu/ap...sites.google.comAPD Workshop Series - Schedule2026-2027 Academic Year Schedule All meetings run from 3:00PM - 4:00PM Eastern. A Zoom link and copies of works to be presented will be sent via email to everyone on the mailing list. Presenters and d... 167
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 30/07/2026Candidate disclosure search on the SBE website also turns up: - Latonia "Toni" Brooks www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc... - Danielle Carter-Walters www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc... - Zoe Ma www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc... - Jabari L. Taylor www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc... 120
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanLiberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 27/07/2026"The role of sports as small talk par excellence is eroded by the introduction of money on the line… Two strangers aren’t just shooting the breeze…they’re talking about dollars, not defensive lines. This quickly slides into trading the most rapidly inflating currency of our age—conspiracy theories."liberalcurrents.comBetting AloneSports betting is destroying an important part of the American social fabric. 0286
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanRyan LaRochelle @rlarochelle.bsky.social · 20/07/2026🚨Attention American Political Development Scholars🚨 We are excited to announce a new APD Workshop Series where scholars--especially grad students, post-docs, junior faculty, and folks at institutions with limited research budgets--can present works-in progress. sites.google.com/maine.edu/ap...sites.google.comAPD Workshop SeriesMission: The APD Workshop Series provides opportunities for scholars of American Political Development--especially advanced graduate students, post-docs, junior faculty, and faculty at institutions wi... 24026
Reposted by Kumar Ramanathanzoexiuha.bsky.social @zoexiuha.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Belgium still the only team to score on Spain this FWC #MoralVictories 🇧🇪🇧🇪🇧🇪 022
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 03/07/2026Perhaps we should send him copies of the works of @profmsinha.bsky.social 000
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanBrian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Indeed, the fact that left and center are locked in a factional battle is both an artifact anti-democratic aspects of our political system, and the thing distracting both from a shared theory of power (or, perhaps more importantly, a theory of shared power). www.offmessage.net/p/shared-the... 1497
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 26/06/2026For political science faculty on here: we wrote this hoping it would be accessible for undergrad courses. If you choose to assign it, we would love to hear how it is received! 110
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 26/06/2026What makes the modern Supreme Court such a problem for democratic accountability? In a new article, @wsnead.bsky.social and I tackle the longstanding question of the Court's counter-majoritarian potential, and update some political science theory along the way: doi.org/10.1017/S153... 176
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanNeil Lewis, Jr. @neillewisjr.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Periodic reminder that publishing papers is not the goal in and of itself. The paper is a mechanism for sharing what you have learned--sharing processes and outcomes that others should be aware of/should think about too. 1/3 524172
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanIllinois Answers Project @illinoisanswers.bsky.social · 25/06/2026In Illinois, 1 million people are estimated to be compulsive gamblers or at risk of becoming one. Illinois Answers and @capitolnewsil.bsky.social spoke anonymously with people whose gambling spiraled into an addiction that cost them money, relationships and peace of mind. These are their stories. 375
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanWarren Snead @wsnead.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Why does the modern #SCOTUS seem so prone to counter-majoritarian decisionmaking? In a new @poppublicsphere.bsky.social piece, @kumar.fyi and I argue that the Court's relationship to democratic politics has changed as parties have become more cohesive and competitive. doi.org/10.1017/S153... 0165
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanPerspectives on Politics @poppublicsphere.bsky.social · 19/06/2026NOW OUT ON FIRSTVIEW!! The #Countermajoritarian Difficulty Revisited: Theorizing Court–Party Relations in the #United #States By @wsnead.bsky.social & @kumar.fyi doi.org/10.1017/S153... 074
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanArrianna Marie Planey, PhD MA @arrianna-planey.bsky.social · 15/06/2026"Today’s social scientists (especially economists) tend to prize clean causal “identification” through “natural” experiments, with less emphasis on building big-picture narratives with theory and rich description."jenndowd.substack.comDid the iPhone Cause the Baby Bust?I'm not so convinced. An interesting new paper highlights the power and pitfalls of simple stories 25811
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanMichael McDonald @electproject.bsky.social · 06/06/2026If your background is data analytics and not politics you don't understand the meaning of the political data you analyze 0261
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 06/06/2026Yes! This is one reason why turning political science departments into fascimilies of data science programs would be an enormous mistake. 020
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 04/06/2026I won't be at the conference at Smith (sadly), but would be happy to help support any ideas that emerge! It'd be great to have a periodic conversation of some kind. 110
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanJW Mason @jwmason.bsky.social · 15/05/2026I wrote a post about this recently. It is a central fact about industrial capitalism that real resources are allocated on the basis of hopes and dreams, rather than as a rational response to prices in existing markets. jwmason.org/slackwire/mo... 318339
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 09/05/2026A beautiful piece about the Pedway, the oft-forgotten and fascinating web of underground tunnels that connects downtown Chicago. 061
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 04/05/2026I've been meaning to prep the dataset for a public release but haven't done it yet. Happy to chat if this would be helpful; feel free to DM me! 010
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 04/05/2026@tommyo.bsky.social developed a method in his book that uses partial tract-level data available in select cities from 1910 onwards to generate improved estimates. I built on this method to generate district-level racial demographic estimates for my dissertation/book project. 120
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 04/05/2026It's tricky to get estimates for districts pre-1960, though. Adler's dataset uses county-level Census data which is mostly fine but does poorly in counties divided into multiple districts (especially a problem in northern cities where racial demographics are not evenly distributed within counties). 110
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 04/05/2026The Census Bureau's Congressional District Data Books have these data for the 87th Congress onwards, but it's tricky before that. Scott Adler has a public dataset that tabulates these data (sites.google.com/a/colorado.e...).sites.google.comAdler, Scott - Congressional District DataScope of the data The data set includes a wide range of economic, social, and geographic information for every U.S. congressional district, from 1943-1998. The variables range from such basic informa... 110
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanMaggie Hendricks @maggiehendricks.bsky.social · 14/04/2026Sky draft pick analysis just for you. yes you! www.theixsports.com/features/gab...theixsports.comWhat No. 5 pick Gabriela Jaquez brings to Chicago Sky | The IX BasketballThe Chicago Sky selected UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez with the No. 5 overall pick and took Latasha Lattimore and Tonie Morgan in later rounds. 0245
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 05/04/2026The critical thing about Supreme Court term limits is not the "limit" part, it's the "term" part. Defined term lengths -- whether multiple terms are allowed or not -- are the feature of the reform that would enable judicial appointments to be responsive to political change. 030
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 31/03/2026New from me, @wsnead.bsky.social, & @rbayes.bsky.social! We look at who the public holds responsible for Supreme Court decisions, test frames that can change this responsibility attribution, and discuss implications for democratic accountability. Full article, no paywall: doi.org/10.1017/jlc.... 033
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanJacob Oller @jacoboller.bsky.social · 16/03/2026The most ironic possible year for WB to tie a record for wins by a single studio 043351
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanDavid Dayen @ddayen.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Eight Oscar wins for Warner Bros. so far with several virtually guaranteed to come, continuing the best critical and financial year for a studio in decades. The only reason it's getting sold is the mountain of debt after 3 failed mergers, a problem it's solving with another debt-fueled merger. 111016249
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 16/03/2026I believe this is the fourth year in a row I've lost to Matt in the Oscars prediction pool. My sisyphean struggle continues. 🫡 020
Reposted by Kumar Ramanathancta @chicagocta.bsky.social · 10/03/2026Meet Ronald, a dedicated Rapid Transit Operator who’s been moving Chicago for 30 years! For Ronald, it’s all about connecting with riders, and serving the community with professionalism and heart. Thank you, Ronald, for the incredible work you do in making every ride safe, reliable, and welcoming! 0182
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 24/02/2026Link to the article: doi.org/10.1515/for-... If you don't have access via the link and want a copy of the paper, DM me!doi.orgThe Major Questions Doctrine: Judicial Power and the Prevalence of Policy Drift in the United StatesA major challenge of governance in the United States is policy drift, the phenomenon wherein a policy’s outcomes are transformed due to a failure to update its rules or structures to meet changing cir... 010
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 24/02/2026Even as they split on the tariffs case, SCOTUS conservatives in both camps tried to apply the major questions doctrine—underscoring that their shared project of concentrating policymaking authority in the Court continues. More on how the MQD imperils policymaking from me and @wsnead.bsky.social 👇 3124
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanWarren Snead @wsnead.bsky.social · 24/02/2026The SCOTUS majority that struck Trump's #tariffs argued extensively about whether to use the major questions doctrine (MQD) to do so. Why would the use of this doctrine matter? In a recent article, @kumar.fyi and I discuss the emergence of the MQD and its high stakes for policymaking. 1122
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanConnor Ewing @cmewing.bsky.social · 23/02/2026There is still time to yeet your Academia dot edu profile into the sun. 092
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 18/02/2026This is so incredibly clear and insightful. I found it very useful in thinking through the problems facing rental housing in Chicago, even though we're not dealing the specific question of rent regulation at the moment. 010
Reposted by Kumar Ramanathan@alvinvelazquez @alvinvelazquez.bsky.social · 09/02/2026I almost cried during the Bad Bunny show when I saw the workers repairing the electrical system. I spent years working on Puerto Rico's crisis, and this was the one thing I couldn't resolve before moving to the academy. Thanks to the @lpeblog.bsky.social and @lpeproject.bsky.social for sharing this. 05822
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanBrian Highsmith @bhighsmith.bsky.social · 24/11/2025🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16] 9436178
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 12/12/2025I also use TurboScan and love it! Handles different types of documents very well, and great options for uploading to cloud drives as you go. Very handy with a tall phone tripod. 150
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 08/12/2025Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.media.tenor.coma close up of a man 's face with the words " doughnut hole " above himAlt: GIF of Daniel Craig from the movie Knives Out 000
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanJay Van Bavel, PhD @jayvanbavel.bsky.social · 11/11/2025The race to churn out papers is a systemic problem. Early career scholars are desperate to get more papers to compete in the academic job market. This can make it hard for faculty mentors hard to reduce their output unless they shrink their lab (which removes opportunities from next generation). 47322
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 23/10/2025Apologies! Correct title is A Consumer's Republic. Links for library catalogs and purchase: search.worldcat.org/title/54471431 bookshop.org/p/books/a-co...bookshop.orgA Consumers' Republic: The Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar AmericaThe Politics of Mass Consumption in Postwar America 020
Kumar Ramanathan @kumar.fyi · 23/10/2025Lizabeth Cohen's book The Consumer Republic is a great treatment of this development. She argues that postwar economic policy and suburbanization led to personal consumption becoming central to social identity and status. Been thinking about that book a lot lately. 3675
Reposted by Kumar RamanathanTaniel @taniel.bsky.social · 30/09/2025If you want to see how much a single local official can change things, look no further than Chicago, where the new prosecutor this year has ground exonerations to a halt by hindering the work of the commission that reviews wrongful convictions boltsmag.org/chicago-cook...boltsmag.orgExonerations Grind to a Halt Under Chicago’s New Prosecutor - BoltsCook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke has weakened her office’s already broken system for freeing the innocent, even as allegations of coercion mount against a former Chicago detective. 421196