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Lily Mason

@lilymasonphd.bsky.social
20K followers 3.7K following 1.1K posts

Political scientist at Johns Hopkins, author of Uncivil Agreement and co-author of Radical American Partisanship

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Reposted by Lily Mason
Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 17h
@lilymasonphd.bsky.social's work is so important on this topic and I'm pleased to see it getting NYT attention
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Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 17h
Having a reckoning over the discipline’s obsession w/ polarization is long overdue. Here are my thoughts, which I’ve shared before. An important q is why so much of the polarization literature has been silent on the kinds of issues @lilymasonphd.bsky.social raises. substack.com/@thecolorlin...
substack.com
Beyond Polarization
My Remarks at Notre Dame's "Keeping the Republic" Conference
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
"We should be asking ourselves: When is civility useful and when is it a canard for oppression? When is anger a detriment and when is it a righteous tool?" www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
What’s Wrong With Civility?
Civility can be a tool of engagement. But history has shown it can also be used to oppress the powerless.
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Ben Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 19h
Nobody likes that the internet has been overrun with fake shit, and it is materially, negatively impacting our relationships with our neighbors and our trust in literally everything. Republicans benefit from this environment, and therefore attempted to criminalize the study of information ops.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 22h
Edsall wrote an article on my recent article. I do think it’s important to point out here that Sean Westwood has been attacking my work since 2021, regardless of topic. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What if Political Polarization Is Not the Disease but the Cure? (Gift Article)
A debate in the rarefied atmosphere of elite academia is virtually certain to have real-world consequences.
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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
The Trump regime is flouting the authority of the courts by violating their orders left & right. They obey when they feel like it & don't when they don't because they believe their man in charge is a legitimate dictator.
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On the Media @onthemedia.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
“Because political polarization is a symptom, and not the root of the problem that ails us, ‘fixing’ polarization will not restore American democratic health.” – @lilymasonphd.bsky.social explains why being more civil to one another won't solve our political crisis: lnk.to/onthemedia/b...
lnk.to
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
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Micah Loewinger @micahloewinger.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
I had a great time speaking with the very wise @lilymasonphd.bsky.social about how the growing focus on political polarization is missing the greater threats. Don’t miss this one! Produced by @eloise-b.bsky.social
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On the Media @onthemedia.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
“The problem is not that the parties are divided. The problem is the existential threat that a reempowered ethnonationalist strain poses to pluralistic U.S. democracy writ large.” – Hear @lilymasonphd.bsky.social explain why polarization is not the problem: lnk.to/onthemedia/b...
lnk.to
On the Media
The Peabody Award-winning On the Media podcast is your guide to examining how the media sausage is made. Hosts Brooke Gladstone and Micah Loewinger examine threats to free speech and government transparency, cast a skeptical eye on media coverage of the week’s big stories and unravel hidden political narratives in everything we read, watch and hear.
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𝕊𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕖 𝔾𝕦𝕣𝕝 @sundaedivine.lol · 09/10/2026
This is apparently happening in multiple areas in the capital. The DC board of elections has been made aware of it and have been in touch with the National Guard to address it. It’s no accident.
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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
DHS really trying to put the "secret" in "secret police"
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
The administration keeps telling us that ICE is in our cities to make us all feel safe, but if they're goons in plainclothes bum rushing vehicles with guns and pounding on the windows, how exactly does that make anyone feel safe?
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On the Media @onthemedia.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
📻 Show’s up! Featuring @gelliottmorris.com, Jose Olivares, @letsgomathias.bsky.social, and @lilymasonphd.bsky.social: lnk.to/onthemedia/b...
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Southern Poverty Law Center @splcenter.org · 09/10/2026
The number of reported hate crimes declined in 2025, with anti-Black hate being the largest number of race-based crimes — even with inaccuracies due to no requirement for law enforcement reporting. #HateCrimesAwarenessMonth We're raising awareness & pressing for prevention 🔗: bit.ly/4ztJr3Q
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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Again, you (& I) live in a country where there are concentration camps & people are being disappeared. We can argue about what exactly to call this particular form of partially autocratic political regime, but it’s not a full democracy.
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Jack Bailey @jack-bailey.co.uk · 09/10/2026
5 year postdoc going on the new BES✌️ jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk
Job Opportunity at Royal Holloway University of London: British Election Study Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Full-Time, Fixed-Term for 5 yearsThe Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy at Royal Holloway seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the British Election St...
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Sumita Pahwa @sumitapahwa.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I'm old enough to remember when Americans were shocked at the ISIS execution videos and pointed to them as a very particular kind of savagery.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
On Dec 3 no less, in between your Hallmark Christmas movies.
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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Not the odds, but the stakes. That's my shorthand for the organizing principle we most need in election coverage. Not who has what chances of winning, but the consequences for American democracy. Not the odds, but the stakes. Sep. 11, 2023
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Josh Zingher @zingherpolisci.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
We've probably learned more about American politics from the ANES than any other single data source. The same is true for the GSS and sociology. Both of these are gone if Congress acquiesces to these NSF cuts.
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public health guy @publichealthguy1.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
oh my GOD
phoenixnewtimes.com
Congressional candidate is raped while repairing her campaign signs
Embarrassed, she initially didn’t want to report attack. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office's investigation is ongoing.
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Digital Warrior - Combat Disinfo @digitalwarrior.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
16/ The test for a healthier democracy is whether people can vote, belong & live with equal protection under the law. A country can be quiet because people feel secure, or because those denied rights have been silenced. We should be clear about which peace we are being offered.
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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
"Polarization Is Not the Problem." The paragraph below says more about "both sides" journalism than just about anything I have read. By @lilymasonphd.bsky.social It's starting to get attaction. So read the rest, and let me know what you think. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
"The United States descended into soft competitive authoritarianism during Donald Trump’s second presidency. Regime change occurred with striking speed. Immediately upon taking office in January 2025, Trump began to weaponize the state." muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Autocrats look invincible until their allies start to walk away. Defections have brought down regimes from Guatemala to Hungary, and they can be engineered: Raise the costs of standing with the autocrat and ease the path out. 🆕 by Laura Gamboa muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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Julia Azari @juliaazari.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Excellent quote. This article also pairs well with Backlash Presidents, which takes on the historical and institutional dimensions of this problem but shares the same basic conviction.
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Jay Rosen @jayrosen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
It's the same problem that I tried to get at here.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
This is where we have to turn to normative assessments. I think it’s normatively good to have a diverse country that provides equal power and protection to every citizen. Others normatively disagree. It doesn’t make either less “right” in the eye of the norm-holder.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
40% of what? And my argument is that both sides are principled.
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Dannagal Goldthwaite Young @dannagal.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Do yourself a favor. Read these 7 pages by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social right now. It is the most concise explanation of the current situation in U.S. politics I've seen and it captures why calls to reduce "polarization" can ultimately worsen the problem 🧵 www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/pol...
journalofdemocracy.org
Polarization Is Not the Problem | Journal of Democracy
Americans have never been angrier with one another. But polarization is not the disease—it is the response to a revanchist movement seeking to roll back sixty years of social progress.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Aw come on we’ve been instant friends since the first time we met in person!
static.klipy.com
Did We Just Become Best Friends? Step Brothers Meme
ALT: Did We Just Become Best Friends? Step Brothers Meme
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I love this story so much
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Mamdani is the best friend all men secretly wish they had?
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Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
A perfect pretext for impeachment does not exis—
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Definitely not arguing that. Just explaining past.
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yes but many assumed she would be stupid and he would be smart because of reasons
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
some descriptive statistics here on the civility industrial complex on college campuses that I haven’t seen analyzed before www.uncivilcollective.org/resources
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Polarization is not the problem. The problem: ethnonationalists threatening vulnerable citizens' rights. "The people who are the most 'polarized' in the U.S. electorate are those who are racist and sexist, and those who oppose racists and sexists." @lilymasonphd.bsky.social muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
That’s how I know you’re serious
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thank you! That means a lot!
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Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
For my new research unit Politics of Democracy at the Berlin Social Science Center @wzb.bsky.social, we have 3 open research positions. 2 postdocs: 4 + 2 years (100%) 1 doc: 2 years (75%) Starting date: 1 March 2027 (negotiable) Application deadline: 1 November
Job adjob ad
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“The current level of political animosity is exactly what one would expect to see if an extremist faction attempted to rescind the hard-earned rights of the vast majority of the country’s citizens… and its pathology is not anger—it is the movement to undermine a generation of rights.”
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
My new JOD piece arguing against the “cure polarization” approach to saving democracy.
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Americans have never been angrier with one another. But polarization is not the disease—it is the response to a revanchist movement seeking to roll back sixty years of social progress. 🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Whenever you see a pollster or consultant give a take like this, it’s always worth following the money. In this case, Emanuel has paid Anzalone’s firm nearly $300k (maybe more but that’s what I found so far). A consultant class is devouring the Dem Party www.elections.il.gov/CampaignDisc...
John Anzalone &
@JohnAnzo
X.com
Underestimate @RahmEmanuel at your own risk.
He knows how to win. He knows how to fight.
And he knows how to message.
And no one will out work him. Regardless of whether he wins the Democratic nomination in 2028 he will make an impact on the race. You can be sure of that. Don't take your eyes off of him. At the minimum, learn from him.
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
Rahm Emanuel Makes His 2026 Play
From nytimes.com
6:47 AM • 9/26/26 • 274K Views
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Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Having an insight in a philosophy seminar, or understanding a literary character in a way that opens up new understandings of the people and things around you, or being exposed to a new idea in the social sciences that allows you to make better sense of your shared world--these are exhilarating!
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Especially conditions that involve the kidnapping and disappearance of anyone who looks like them by the party they voted for
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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Apply for @snfagora.bsky.social 's Postdoctoral Fellowship by November 5. See details here! snfagora.jhu.edu/fellowships-...
snfagora.jhu.edu
Postdoctoral Fellows Program
Postdoctoral Fellows Program SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University
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zeynep tufekci @zey.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Polls show people expect AI to at least advanced science. Navier-Stokes, right? AI may throttle science instead! It doesn’t always advance understanding, its glut overwhelms filters for quality, and its methods don’t fit medical research. Gift link to my NYT essay. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/22/o...
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Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 21/09/2026
The government moving or hiding jailed people to avoid review by courts isn't some loophole in our habeas corpus rights. This government behavior has been considered a violation of the people's habeas corpus rights since at least the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habeas_...
Jailors were forbidden to move prisoners from one prison to another or out of the country to evade the writ. In case of disobedience jailers would be punished with severe fines which had to be paid to the prisoner.[5][6]
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