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Scott Meinke

@srmeinke.bsky.social
1K followers 448 following 141 posts

Political scientist at Bucknell University studying & teaching about US institutions. Congress nerd. smeinke.scholar.bucknell.edu

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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
This is a must-read from Julia Azari on national/local factors in midterms, how those might be changing, and especially how national vs. local factors play differently for Rs than Ds. We should be paying more attention to this...
goodpoliticsbadpolitics.substack.com
Studying for the midterms
There’s been a lot of bad news for Republicans.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania . . . a Democrat won a special election yesterday in a Trump +18 state house district. politicspa.com/hd-12-dukes-...
politicspa.com
HD-12: Dukes Defeats Timko In Butler County Shocker
Is this a sign of a coming “blue wave” in Pennsylvania? For the first time in more than three decades, […]
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Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The absolute craziest primary for Congress today is in FL-19, which runs along the SW Gulf Coast around Naples. There are 10 Republicans in the race - and so many GOP carpetbaggers that you might think you are reading about Reconstruction. 1/ 🧵
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Two great long-form pieces on the PA governor candidates from some of the best PA state politics reporters: First, a recent deep dive on Josh Shapiro . . . (1/2) www.notus.org/perspectives...
notus.org
Is Josh Shapiro Actually Good at Governing?
He’s hyper-articulate. He’s great on TV. But his record as governor contains plenty of setbacks. Two Pennsylvania reporters dive deep.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
We're hiring a tenure-track Americanist at Bucknell, in a new line focused on parties, groups, and/or communications/media. Please share with folks who might be interested, and I'm happy to answer questions or talk in person at APSA!
bucknell.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
Tenure Track Position in American Politics
Position Title: Tenure Track Position in American Politics Position Type: Full time Location: Bucknell University Categories: Faculty Exempt Job Summary: Job Duties: Bucknell University’s Department o...
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
New procrastination tool for Congress nerds just dropped: playyeaornay.com
playyeaornay.com
Yea or Nay — The Daily Congressional Vote Game
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
The House passed the defense authorization bill (NDAA) today, and the version going to the Senate has the SAVE Act attached. But the House did not vote directly on the NDAA with the SAVE Act. Instead, the rule automatically added the SAVE Act, as it passed in the spring, after NDAA passed . . .
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I don't have a very strong opinion about year-round DST, but the time that Congress tried this in the 1970s is pretty interesting . . . 🧵
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Weakening House leadership watch: the House just agreed to another motion to discharge, with 9 Republicans joining all voting Dems, on a union-backed bill to speed up union contracting under NLRA.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
The GOP leadership *lost* this vote and then apparently pulled the Iran War vote, leaving Jim McGovern shouting on the floor "you guys don't have the guts or the balls to vote on this!"
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Matt Glassman @mattglassman312.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
A fair amount of confusion about the talking filibuster comes from nomenclature; it messes people up b/c (1) minorities filibuster; but (2) the talking filibuster is described as a *majority* tactic ("the GOP should use the talking filibuster.") Let's straighten this out. 1/
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
TIL that Alexander Butterfield dated Dr. Seuss's widow "for many years." www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2...
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
I liked the Doobie Brothers version better . . .
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
The Senate vote on the Venezuela resolution was not a final passage vote . . . this seems like something the Post should get right?
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
A persuasive framework from @joshhuder.bsky.social for thinking about Mike Johnson's struggles as speaker:
joshhuder.substack.com
Mike Johnson: A Broker in Czar’s Clothes
The House suffers from a clash of strong institutions and fragmenting Republican politics.
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Steven S Smith @profstevensmith.bsky.social · 12/09/2025
Thread on Senate nuking of supermajority cloture for their nomination reform resolution:
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you joy and happiness.
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Julia Azari @juliaazari.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Some thoughts on Trump, power, Epstein, coalitions open.substack.com/pub/goodpoli...
open.substack.com
Can Trump's unprecented power consolidation last?
Power, not legitimacy, is what drives politics right now. But that could change.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 20/07/2025
Geeky question for Congress geeks: has anyone tried to validate the idea that the DW-Nominate 2nd dimension has started picking up a cross-party establishment/antiestablishment thing in the House? Or published anything that works from this assumption?
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Rachel Porter @rachelporter.bsky.social · 17/07/2025
Our article introducing CampaignView is now officially online! Check it out here: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
CampaignView, a database of policy platforms and biographical narratives for congressional candidates - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - CampaignView, a database of policy platforms and biographical narratives for congressional candidates
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Really good overview of (1) what we know about when/how voters punish members of Congress on big votes and (2) what that might mean for the OBBB from @mattngreen.bsky.social
misofact.substack.com
Will the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” hurt Republicans in 2026?
What political science tells us.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Don't Let The Pigeon Fly The Plane!
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Sarah Binder @sarahbinder.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
House GOP pay-fors more draconian for tax cuts this year compared to 2017 TCJA. Primary 2017 revenue raiser was🧂🧢 (after "border tax" killed). This time, slimmer GOP seeks more costly tax cuts & more politically salient revenue raisers (Medicaid/SNAP/ACA/Pell✂️). Pulls bill much farther to the right.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 05/01/2025
This is excellent, and it hit home on a day when I struggled to explain what "broadcast TV" was/is to my fifth-grade kid. musgrave.substack.com/p/what-the-k...
musgrave.substack.com
What the Kids Are Reading
Engaging with the new generation and its media consumption
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 04/01/2025
Jan. 2023: McCarthy elected Speaker on a promise that bills would cover only a single subject. Jan. 2025: Johnson elected Speaker on a promise to make everything into one omnibus.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
Oooh--it's free-range C-SPAN camera day again!
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Congressional parties put significant effort into messaging around votes. Members care a lot about explaining their votes. What happens when the party tries to message explanations--how does the party decide which positions to explain? I use new archival data to study this in Party Politics 🧵
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
Very good summary of House GOP leadership problems from Josh Huder: the Speaker leads a chamber that is still complex, institutionalized, and majoritarian, but House Republicans have made necessary institutional experience a "liability not an asset."
joshhuder.substack.com
House Republican's Broken Leadership Pipeline
Populist politics has made experience a liability.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 20/12/2024
Yikes. (1) Are they going to do this under a rule? (2) If so, can a rule to do this even get out of Rules and pass? (3) And if so, is the rule going to join the bills that pass or leave the Senate to deal with three separate measures? bsky.app/profile/news...
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Just got an email from Wiley thanking me for citing an AJPS article in an article I published two years ago, so I've got that going for me this morning.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
How does the media report on Senate procedure, and how does this reporting affect public opinion? I look at these two questions in a new piece in PRQ 🧵 journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 11/10/2024
This political scientist strongly recommends placing your election yard sign at least 15 feet away from your fake tombstones, skeletons, and other spooky decorations to avoid message confusion.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 27/09/2024
The GOP is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Contract with America. Curious about where it came from, who it represented, and how it affected House Republican actions? I've got you covered: www.cambridge.org/core/element...
cambridge.org
The Origins and Consequences of Congressional Party Election Agendas
Cambridge Core - American Studies - The Origins and Consequences of Congressional Party Election Agendas
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 27/09/2024
Interesting reporting on candidates' use of AI in communicating their positions to voters (from Bucknell polisci grad Jaxon White). www.witf.org/2024/09/24/a...
witf.org
AI enters politics: 3 Pa. House candidates used ChatGPT to shape voters guide responses | WITF
Artificial intelligence has become the bogeyman of politics, blasted as a potential misinformation tool campaigns can use to mislead voters.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 29/08/2024
I've been teaching the prisoners' dilemma for 20 years and today is the first day that, when asked what they would do, a student finally gave the obvious answer: demand a lawyer.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 26/08/2024
Congress folks: My review of Life in the Middle by Neil Chaturvedi is up in Party Politics. The book is a very persuasive (and timely!) argument for why Senate "moderates" are often *not* power brokers driving centrist outcomes. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 19/04/2024
165 Democrats (81%) voted for the rule on the foreign aid package. Policy obviously drove this, but it's worth noting how weird it is to see a modern-era minority party fully embracing the message of "we are helping the majority party govern" and (prob. correctly) seeing electoral benefit in it.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 17/04/2024
Sure, new Taylor Swift this weekend is exciting and all, but it can't compare to watching a Speaker without a procedural majority trying to pass four controversial bills with different coalitions under one rule, apparently to package as one bill for the Senate . . .
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 25/03/2024
@dcinbox.bsky.social's data is an amazing research and teaching resource, and this is a great piece summarizing some of what it shows:
theconversation.com
I’ve been studying congressional emails to constituents for 15 years − and found these 4 trends after scanning 185,222 of them
In taxpayer-funded email messages to constituents, Republicans prefer visual elements and strategic timing, and Democrats prefer more text-heavy missives.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 18/03/2024
$2.13/hr + tips as a busser and then as a server in the early 1990s. In other news, the federal minimum cash wage for tipped employees in 2024 is . . . still $2.13/hr.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 13/03/2024
Pretty strong ends-against-the-middle vote on TikTok: D opponents (-.44) significantly more liberal than supporters (-.37) and R opponents (.63) significantly more conservative than supporters (.50) on DW-Nominate first dimension.
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 08/02/2024
Interesting: The 2023 CQ party unity data shows the House GOP with the lowest rate of majority victory on party unity votes (63.7%) since the Dems in the first Reagan Congress (who frequently split as conservative Dems supported Reagan).
rollcall.com
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 05/02/2024
Dear Ms. Swift, I write with enthusiasm to apply for the position of Chair of the Department of Tortured Poets. While I have not previously led a Tortured Poets Department, my four years as chair of a department of Sometimes-Beleaguered Political Scientists makes me very well qualified to . . .
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 29/12/2023
Shameless self-promotion of the 2023 work thing I was most excited about: this short book on where congressional parties' election agendas come from and how they relate to the policies Congress makes.
cambridge.org
The Origins and Consequences of Congressional Party Election Agendas
Cambridge Core - American Government, Politics and Policy - The Origins and Consequences of Congressional Party Election Agendas
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Scott Meinke @srmeinke.bsky.social · 08/12/2023
Training new academics isn't part of the gig when you work at a liberal arts college, but one of the best parts of the job is getting to watch a few amazing undergraduates go on to become great scholars and teachers. Congratulations Emily!!! bsky.app/profile/emil...
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Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 01/12/2023
Justice O’Connor was the last person to serve on #SCOTUS who had ever run for (and been elected to) government office. I often wonder what today’s Court would look like with justices with broader local, state, and/or federal governmental experiences before joining the bench…
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Junior Americanist Workshop Series @jawspolisci.bsky.social · 27/11/2023
Think Ron Swanson is the only one who can learn a thing about responsiveness? Think again. (Don't lie. You laughed at this scene. That makes you culpable!) Make up for your sin this Wed, Nov 29 at 3 ET w/ our session on ~responsiveness~ Papers by @elizabethelder.bsky.social & John Wagner
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Molly Reynolds @mollyereynolds.bsky.social · 17/11/2023
Some thoughts from me on how asking spending bills to bear all of Congress's political conflict is part of what has brought us to a cycle of shutdowns and stopgaps. www.nytimes.com/2023/11/17/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Why We Can Expect More Chaos in the House
The attention that the budget process brings can breed dysfunction.
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Jonathan Bernstein @jonathanbernstein.bsky.social · 24/10/2023
Important point: It's not just that the norm of supporting the party nominee on the floor has broken down. It's that the radicals *do not have asks* that can be bargained for. Certainly not realistic ones, and perhaps not any at all.
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