Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Can you say something (or have you already done so and can point me to it) what all of this will do to congressional Dems attitudes and willingness to cooperate on upcoming budget debates, the NDAA etc in the lame duck and beyond? 000
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Yeah seems about right. Sooo… where does that leave us going forward? 100
Reposted by Peter SpardingHenry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 27/09/2026My first take (from work with @abenewman.bsky.social on the EU-US privacy wars) is that this is likely very stupid. ECJ judges are absolutely political, but are relatively insulated from electoral politics and raison d'etat. US interference makes a strong ruling vs Musk more politically attractive. 212343
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Quick check-in: how strange are people who would have Medieval II and any Madden version on their list? Asking for a friend… 021
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 24/09/2026What’s your general view of how pollsters have adapted to previous problems and whether “this time is different” just from a technical polling point of view? I feel like pollsters have not very actively explained how they addressed challenges or at least not in a way anyone heard much about it. 000
Reposted by Peter SpardingPhil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Georgia’s second-largest school district has abruptly banned Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” from school library shelvesgpb.orgGeorgia school system abruptly bans Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’Georgia’s second-largest school district is once again at the center of a political controversy over the appropriateness of school materials. 43512284
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Has there been any good analysis on what pollsters have done to avoid previous polling errors? 000
Reposted by Peter SpardingJonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 23/09/2026These are still some of the most amazing graphs ever published in a political science book. From: Edward Tufte. 1978. Political Control of the Economy. Princeton University Press. 45812
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Wrote a piece for a German outlet where I warned precisely of this becoming the public narrative because seat numbers won’t be as impressive as they were in 2018. A bit stunning to see this misunderstanding of the starting point already making an appearance before the elections… 0523
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026A good explainer of one of the problems with a Diesel export ban, namely that it would hit New England states hard. One can assume this would also have consequences for Senate races in Maine and NH. 010
Reposted by Peter SpardingJohn Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Lots to absorb in this chart, but look at the changes in Republicans' views of data centers since January. Far more Republicans now see them as bad for the environment, home energy costs and local quality of life. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 0198
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Got it. Has there been recent high-quality polling in NH or places like MN? 000
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Got it. Just always learned that in surveys where one number is significantly below 50 and the other only barely above, there’s usually a good chance that many will return. But even then, this would still be a pretty decisive Dem win in the +8 range or such 140
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Isn’t the fact that GOP is in the mid-30s usually an indication that a number of these people will in the end return to vote for them? It’s not like the Dems are polling close to 60 in these. 140
Reposted by Peter SpardingNikkei Asia (Official) @asia.nikkei.com · 18/09/2026Takaichi seeks Trump meeting early next week ahead of US-China summit asia.nikkei.com/politics/internatio…asia.nikkei.comTakaichi seeks Trump meeting early next week ahead of US-China summitJapan prime minister hopes to keep Washington engaged on China deterrence 043
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Agree, but be careful what you wish for... it could always be something more annoying... or noisy 000
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 17/09/2026I think many researchers and analysts could (should?) say the same about a range of issues unrelated to the conflict right now…. if we are honest. 031
Reposted by Peter SpardingPhil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026A Philadelphia family just bought their first home with a $10,000 first-time homebuyer grant funded by a group of Quakers It’s part of the congregation’s racial justice plan to redistribute wealth to Black residents in the Germantown area as a form of reparationsinquirer.comA Philly family bought their first home thanks to reparations from Quakers in GermantownGreen Street Friends Meeting, a Quaker congregation in Germantown, pledged to spend $50,000 a year for 10 years as part of its reparations work. It’s helping Black Philadelphians become homeowners. 222125312872
Reposted by Peter SpardingMike Walker @newnarrative.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Germany to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, warns of stepped-up Russian winter attacks www.straitstimes.com/world/europe...straitstimes.comGermany to send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine, warns of stepped-up Russian winter attacksSept 8 - Germany will send Patriot air defence missiles to Ukraine from its national stocks, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Tuesday, warning that Russia was likely to intensify its air campa... 031
Reposted by Peter SpardingCecilia Muñoz @ceciliamunoz.bsky.social · 08/09/2026This is terrible news, not just for the Smithsonian, but for the country. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/08/a...nytimes.comSmithsonian’s Secretary to Resign as Trump Tries to Rule the InstitutionIn the face of escalating White House attacks about how museums present American history, Lonnie G. Bunch III has announced his decision to depart. 213467
Reposted by Peter SpardingEric Columbus @ericcolumbus.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Happy 72nd Birthday to Ruby Bridges, who at the age of 6 desegregated the New Orleans public schools. She’s younger than 30 senators and our last two presidents—and only 7 years older than Barack Obama. The past isn’t past. 5599473394
Reposted by Peter SpardingBloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 08/09/2026Students who don't use AI chatbots for schoolwork are scoring better grades than those who do, according to a new report. It's some of the widest-ranging evidence yet that the technology could be hurting young people's learning. bloom.bg/4gHVbZY 📷: Jean-François Fort / Getty Images 910046
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 08/09/2026The first two of those issues may have something to do with falling test scores. Not an expert so just guessing here 100
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 08/09/2026Can you explain what comprehensive education is? 100
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Hard to quantify but I’d add two things: increased uncertainty due to frequent policy shifts and even more difficult to quantify but I think the lasting effects of the deterioration of US standing in the world will also have consequences (believe the latter under appreciated in DC and more broadly) 180
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 03/09/2026If you had to put years to the terms medium and long term, what would you say? 000
Reposted by Peter SpardingJohn Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 03/09/2026I hereby declare the "learn to code" era officially dead: Big declines in the number of people studying computer science in the last year or two 📉 Chart from this week’s edition of our newsletter on AI and the labour market www.ft.com/content/9183... 67945236
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Alright, I think that means you get to call it a day ;) 010
Reposted by Peter SpardingBloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 03/09/2026President Donald Trump’s defense and trade policies are prompting the Philippines to look beyond its longstanding alliance with the US.bloom.bgPhilippines Looks Beyond US Ties as Trump Tests AlliancesPresident Donald Trump’s defense and trade policies are prompting the Philippines to look beyond its longstanding alliance with the US and build ties with non-traditional partners, Manila’s top diplomat said. 23112
Reposted by Peter SpardingPolitico @politico.com · 02/09/2026EXCLUSIVE: The White House pressured U.S. space companies to skip French President Emmanuel Macron’s space summit in Paris next week. It's a surprise move that left company executives confused about what they should do.politico.comWhite House pushes companies to ditch Macron’s space summitMore than 120 countries are attending the symposium in Paris. 84332291610
Peter Sparding @psparding.bsky.social · 02/09/2026The expansion of the trade deficit with China is also interesting (imports up nearly 9%). Given the speed at which this transformation of the relationship is occurring and its impact, I’m still a bit surprised that there doesn’t seem to be more urgency or pressure in Germany/Europe to act faster. 030
Reposted by Peter SpardingMatt Grossmann @mattgrossmann.bsky.social · 01/09/2026Our new Michigan survey has 55% of likely voters saying a Trump endorsement makes them less likely to support a candidate (vs. 27% more likely). That is hard for Republicans to overcome. ippsr.msu.edu/news/msu-pol...ippsr.msu.eduMSU Poll Shows Democrats Lead, Republicans Coalesce Behind Rogers | Institute for Public Policy and Social Research 1214
Reposted by Peter SpardingJohn Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Upper-income Republicans are just as likely as lower-income Republicans (61% vs. 62%) to say the term "working class" describes them well. That's not the case among Democrats. Fascinating chart from new @pewresearch.org analysis: www.pewresearch.org/politics/202... 1177
Reposted by Peter SpardingThe Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 01/09/2026Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party swept three special elections, in a test of whether voters supported his tough stance against President Trump's trade war. One Liberal lawmaker described the election results as a “message” to the U.S. washingtonpost.comCanadian special elections indicate voters backing Carney’s stand against TrumpPrime Minister Mark Carney had vowed to match U.S. tariffs "dollar for dollar," unlike other longtime U.S. partners who had raced to cut deals when faced with tariff threats. 88719