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Noah Nathan

Noah Nathan

@nlnathan.bsky.social

670 followers 340 following 49 posts

Political scientist @MIT

nlnathan.mit.edu

Political science 52%

Sociology 20%

more

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

stevelevitsky.bsky.social @stevelevitsky.bsky.social · 5d

So important.

Peace Is Unraveling www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/o...

Opinion | Peace Is Unraveling

www.nytimes.com

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 5d

Life under personalist rule...

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 5d

I know it was funny for people to laugh about "TACO" a few months ago... but we actually really *do* want him to chicken out on most of this stuff. Sheesh. In a government where all policy is ego and preening and performative dominance displays, giving him an off ramp to chicken out is a good thing.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 5d

As I can recall, the "policy planning process" is a) in first term, Trump makes stray offhand, uninformed remark about Greenland; b) people laugh at him about; c) defensive to the slights, he post hoc decides he meant it; d) sycophants race to tell him its genius; e) now its policy... ... RIP NATO??

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 5d

People still somehow naively laugh off Trump's claims as bluster. But the Miller CNN interview is as clear as can be. They've backed themselves into a corner where they'll probably now think they can't not attack Greenland, to avoid looking like capitulating to their critics. It's completely insane.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 7d

Thanks. And sorry for my Sunday morning spelling 🤣

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 7d

But in an urban grid, where the paths are more efficient, people will likely choose walking more often, which creates more street-level interaction. The opposite effect of my paper, basically.

Anyway, though that might be interesting to think about.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 7d

But in the US, the grid vs tangled layout comparison is confounded by transit mode choices: the inefficienecy in paths in the tangled layout induces people to just drive, and avoid each other, rather than meet. Nobody walks in those kinds of suburbs because the routes are too circuitous.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 7d

In a city like Accra, where something like only ~10% of residents have private cars, the main comparison is walking in a gridded layout vs walking in a more tangled layout. The greater inefficiency in paths through the tangled layout then can create more street-level interaction among pedestrians.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 7d

Thanks for engaging with the piece! Really interesting.

On your last point about suburbs, an interesting moderator for generalizing the argument is likely the interaction of transit mode choice and street layouts.

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

Scott Gehlbach @sgehlbach.bsky.social · 7d

On days like today, it’s nice to have a preoccupation that isn’t tied too directly to current events. Here, a few thoughts on urban design and social interaction, inspired by @nlnathan.bsky.social’s really innovative work on gridded streets and political mobilization.

Serendipitous Encounters On and Off the Grid

Chicago is a city on a grid. Noah Nathan’s innovative “Do Grids Demobilize?” () suggests this should be bad for social interaction, and thus collective actio...

scottgehlbach.bearblog.dev

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Juan Cole, Susan Hyde , and 9 more Anna O. Law, Juan Cole, Susan Hyde, Daniel W. Drezner, Mary L. Dudziak, Layna Mosley, John Sides, Claire L. Adida, Noah L. Nathan, Charles T. Mathewes, Andrew Kydd, Stuart Shapiro

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 8d

Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.

First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.

1/

Reposted by Jennifer A. Richeson, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller , and 2 more Jennifer A. Richeson, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller, Noah L. Nathan, Timothy D. McBride

Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 8d

"But Wiles conceded that attacking targets on Venezuela’s mainland would force Trump to get congressional approval. 'If he were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.'"

- WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Nov 2, 2025 interview

www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...

Trump’s Inner Circle, On the Record (Part 2 of 2)

Susie Wiles discusses the Epstein files, Pete Hegseth’s war tactics, and “retribution” against Letitia James.

www.vanityfair.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Rosemary A. Joyce, David R. Miller , and 5 more Will Jennings, Rosemary A. Joyce, David R. Miller, Dana R. Fisher, Noah L. Nathan, Andrew Rudalevige, Julie Novkov, David Darmofal

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 8d

Whatever happens now, we absolutely cannot allow Trump's refusal to seek Congressional authorization for what appears to be a large scale military attack on another country vanish from the media discussion, which already appears to be happening.

Reposted by David Szakonyi

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 8d

Absolute lawlessness

Reposted by Peter Thorne, David R. Miller, Christine Kooi , and 9 more Peter Thorne, David R. Miller, Christine Kooi, Jonathan Birch, Maria Abreu, Michael Jones‐Correa, Jelena Subotić, Mark Rice, Noah L. Nathan, Greg Linden, Stephen A. Meserve, Manisha Sinha

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 8d

Among the many reasons you don’t kidnap a foreign head of state at gunpoint even if you have the capability, is that it sparks consequences you can neither control nor anticipate.

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

Scott Gehlbach @sgehlbach.bsky.social · 10d

Taking a cue from @mattglassman312.bsky.social, I have created a text-first blog for occasional musings of the sort that fit better into 300 words than 300 characters. Here is my first post—on urbanity, and where we see it. scottgehlbach.bearblog.dev/urbanity-her...

Urbanity, Here and There

I am reading Vishaan Chakrabarti’s (visually, substantively) beautiful . Setting the stage, Chakrabarti defines an urbane community not as "elitist or metrop...

scottgehlbach.bearblog.dev

Reposted by Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Nandita Sharma, David Lazer , and 9 more Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Nandita Sharma, David Lazer, Justin Wolfers, John Horgan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller, Mark Rice, Noah L. Nathan, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 25d

What this will mean, in practice, that if you are deemed an enemy of the administration, they will pore through your citizenship application paperwork looking for some reason to retroactively disqualify you.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...

Trump Administration Aims to Strip More Foreign-Born Americans of Citizenship

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Elizabeth Saunders, Noah L. Nathan

Scott Shapiro @scottjshapiro.bsky.social · 25d

It’s really not funny that we are starting a war for no apparent reason.

Reposted by David R. Miller, Noah L. Nathan

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 25d

With the invasion in Iraq there was some effort to portray it (for the rubes who did not believe it was about 9/11) as about some higher ideals, promoting democracy, empowering women. Here, there isn't even a coherent lie. Its all the personal pique of the mad King that no courtiers will question.

Reposted by Sara B. Hobolt, Justin H. Kirkland, Simon Weschle , and 4 more Sara B. Hobolt, Justin H. Kirkland, Simon Weschle, David R. Miller, Bessma Momani, David Szakonyi, Noah L. Nathan

LSE Department of Government @lsegovernment.bsky.social · 26d

🚨We're #hiring!

We're looking for a #Research #Fellow to join our team. The successful candidate will be part of the research project "Political #Finance in #Africa" led by Associate Professor @sarahbrierley.bsky.social for 2 years.

🗓️Apply by Monday 12 January 👇🏽

jobs.lse.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...

Research Fellow (Political Finance in Africa (POLFINA))

Research Fellow (Political Finance in Africa (POLFINA)), , <p style="background: white; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #333333;">LSE is committed to building a diverse, equi...

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

Daniel Ziblatt @dziblatt.bsky.social · Dec 11

New out today

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Nov 24

We're excited to announce our newest The Storied Teller piece, "Urban Order." WP spoke with author @nlnathan.bsky.social about his work on #Africa and connecting the #political #incentives of #state #leaders to the physical geometry of #urban #built #environments. wpj.princeton.edu/storied-tell...

World Politics contributor Noah Nathan connects the political incentives of state leaders to the physical geometry of urban built environments

wpj.princeton.edu

Reposted by Henning Finseraas, Noah L. Nathan

Aditya Dasgupta @adasgupta.bsky.social · Nov 16

Happy to learn I received the Michael Wallerstein prize in political economy for this article on the political consequences of technological change in agriculture in the US: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Explaining Rural Conservatism: Political Consequences of Technological Change in the Great Plains | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core

Explaining Rural Conservatism: Political Consequences of Technological Change in the Great Plains - Volume 119 Issue 1

www.cambridge.org

Reposted by Noah L. Nathan

World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Nov 14

Do you follow @nlnathan.bsky.social? While checking out his feed, have a read of his October WP article. He backdates the construction of 1.5 million streets across a sample of #African countries to determine how #autocratic and #urban #politics shape the built environment. doi.org/10.1353/wp.2...

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · Oct 28

ecmrecords.com/product/alwa...

Always Let Me Go - ECM Records

A new high-water mark in the life of the extraordinary trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette. Recorded on two nights in Tokyo last year, this double album is an endlessly fascinating...

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · Oct 28

ecmrecords.com/product/terj...

Terje Rypdal / Miroslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette - ECM Records

CD from the "Touchstones" Series. The Norwegian guitarist is lifted to new heights by the wildly inventive playing of Miroslav Vitous and Jack DeJohnette. Cascades of sound prevail.

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · Oct 28

store.bluenote.com/products/mcc...

McCoy Tyner & Joe Henderson - Forces Of Nature: Live At Slugs’ - Blue Note Records

If the digital album is purchased, you will receive the full album via email on November 22nd, 2024.Standard digital downloads are delivered as MP3 44.1khz/24-bit audio files.Please note, digital down...

store.bluenote.com

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · Oct 28

www.billfrisell.com/the-elephant...

The Elephant Sleeps but Still Remembers — Bill Frisell

www.billfrisell.com

Noah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · Oct 28

ecmrecords.com/product/insi...

Inside Out - ECM Records

On ‘Inside Out’, the "Standards Trio" throws away the tunes and embarks on daring improvisations in a performance from the Royal Festival Hall, London. Keith Jarrett: "Those of us who experimented a l...