Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Henry Farrell

@himself.bsky.social

34K followers 600 following 5.3K posts

Professor of democracy and international affairs. http://www.henryfarrell.net and newsletter at http://www.programmablemutter.com. Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy (Holt, Penguin). https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781250840554. .. more

Videos

Henry Farrell is an Irish-born political scientist at Johns Hopkins University. He previously taught at the University of Toronto and earned his PhD from Georgetown University. His research interests include trust and co-operation; e-commerce; the European Union; and institutional theory. He is an elected member of the Council on Foreign Relations. .. more

Political science 57%

Economics 15%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Ned Resnikoff @resnikoff.bsky.social · 12h

I wrote a piece on one of the underrated keys to YIMBYism's success and what other political organizations, including the Democratic Party, could stand to learn from YIMBY. (In short: host more happy hours.) www.firesidestacks.com/p/yimbytown-...

The Place Where Civic Life Still Feels Fun—And What It Teaches Us About YIMBYtowning Our Politics

A visit to YIMBYtown tells you why the movement has been so successful. The lessons it offers may even point the way to a broader democratic renewal. Progressive groups and policymakers should study Y...

www.firesidestacks.com

4 14 47

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 13h

Your own great piece in Balkinization came out after mine was pretty well finalized, but has a lot of valuable information ( balkin.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-... for those who haven't seen it yet)

Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal

A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics

balkin.blogspot.com

1 4

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 13h

thank you

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Jonathan Feingold @jpygold.bsky.social · 13h

This is the full story. Extortion is the point. It's designed to divide our institutions. There is only one way out. Refusing to splinter.

Great piece from @himself.bsky.social that lays it out so clearly.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

8 20

Reposted by Graham Webster

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

I am so much on Team Editor

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 1d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

1 4 34

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Rebecca Solnit, Megan L. Ranney , and 12 more Anna O. Law, Rebecca Solnit, Megan L. Ranney, Rosemary A. Joyce, Philip N. Cohen, Dustin Mulvaney, Rebecca Tushnet, Justin Lewis, Henry Farrell, David Rosnick, Lisa Diedrich, Carolyn Whitzman, Catherine J. Frieman, David L. Anderson, Charles T. Mathewes

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

repost this if an editor has ever saved you from yourself

violent alien @blipstress.bsky.social · 1d

An actual hot take: Too many authors are afraid of editors watering down their voice or whatever and not afraid enough of editors letting you put any old slop on the page.

57 1.1K 3.6K

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

this.

Sam Rosenfeld @samrosenfeld.bsky.social · 1d

Henry's writing about about institutional actors more than the mass public, but the basic collective-action point relates to mass protests as well--a means of signaling the scope of opposition, unafraid and peaceful. Put me in mind of the No Kings day planned for 10/18, which can't come soon enough.

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

"It wanted to signal strength. Instead, it’s revealing its weakness. The administration’s need to break the academy is forcing it to make a desperately risky gamble." www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

1 22

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Sam Rosenfeld @samrosenfeld.bsky.social · 1d

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

3 7 20

Reposted by Henry Farrell

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 1d

"Energy dominance," you say?

As of this year, *China is exporting more clean-energy technology than the US is exporting the dirty stuff*.

The future is green energy & China, not the US, is set to dominate it.

China Is Beating the US in the Battle for Energy Export Dominance

China’s exports of clean energy technology hit a record in August, with $20 billion shipped globally.

www.bloomberg.com

13 190 480

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

The NYT piece today links to Susanne Lohmann's research on protest in Dresden, which discusses how the painfully normal effect helps legitimize dissidence www.jstor.org/stable/2950679 www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

4 40 120

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

There is a fair amount of shared ground between Greg's piece and mine today - www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o... - but his gets into the politics of attention in a way that I did not.

5 22

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

it's a great book

Ruth Graham @ruthgraham.bsky.social · 1d

Political scientist Hahrie Han has just been named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. Here's my 2024 review of her excellent book "Undivided": www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/b...

What Happened When an Ohio Megachurch Decided to Tackle Racism (Published 2024)

www.nytimes.com

2 12

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Ruth Graham @ruthgraham.bsky.social · 1d

Political scientist Hahrie Han has just been named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. Here's my 2024 review of her excellent book "Undivided": www.nytimes.com/2024/09/22/b...

What Happened When an Ohio Megachurch Decided to Tackle Racism (Published 2024)

www.nytimes.com

4 22

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Asawin Suebsaeng @swin24.bsky.social · 1d

NEW, via @andrewperez.bsky.social. Our @zeteo.com senior politics editor’s latest: zeteo.com/p/leonard-le...

The Supreme Court’s Dark Money Man Is Trying to Make It Harder to Vote

Leonard Leo’s network is bankrolling the main donor behind a ballot initiative in Maine that would limit absentee voting and impose voter ID requirements.

zeteo.com

3 40 87

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

The _real_ power move would be to discourage you from adding pointers on the basis that of course _everyone_ knows who the Henry is, and who else could it be after all? [more seriously, no worries at all and don't change unless you feel you absolutely have to - it is funnier left dangling]

Reposted by Archon Fung, Brendan Nyhan, Efrén O. Pérez , and 11 more Archon Fung, Brendan Nyhan, Efrén O. Pérez, Sabine Pahl, Matthew Salganik, Mirya R. Holman, Robert C. Richards, Ariadne Vromen, Andrew L. Whitehead, Henry Farrell, Leah Stokes, Raúl Pacheco-Vega, Southern Africa, David Darmofal

Hahrie Han @hahrie.bsky.social · 1d

Totally, completely flabbergasted. #MacFellow

hub.jhu.edu/2025/10/08/h...

Johns Hopkins political scientist Hahrie Han receives MacArthur genius grant

Han, who studies political organizing and collective action and who has led the university's SNF Agora Institute since 2019, among 22 individuals to receive coveted MacArthur Foundation recognition

hub.jhu.edu

92 150 1.8K

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

I'd thought (being egoistic) that I was maybe the Henry being invoked but wasn't sure from the piece itself, which is great.

1 1

Reposted by Henry Farrell, David Darmofal

Filipe Campante @filipecampante.bsky.social · 1d

Super happy for the awesome @hahrie.bsky.social and her MacArthur fellowship -- couldn't go to a more deserving scholar and person... www.macfound.org/fellows/clas...

Hahrie Han

Analyzing the organizations and movements that equip people to participate in public life and solve problems together.

www.macfound.org

4 16

Reposted by Efrén O. Pérez

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/08/m... My colleague and friend, @hahrie.bsky.social has won a MacArthur

MacArthur 2025 ‘genius grant’ winners include a Chicago photographer

Tonika Lewis Johnson’s artwork includes the acclaimed Folded Map Project. She’s one of 22 new MacArthur Fellows, announced on Wednesday.

www.chicagotribune.com

10 67

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

We did a Crooked Timber seminar on this book back in the day: looks like the link broke when I changed my website, so here is a new address - henryfarrell.net/wp-content/u...

1 9

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Susan (George) Schorn @susanschorn.bsky.social · 1d

UT-Austin alumni: Here's a letter you can sign expressing opposition to this destruction of our alma mater. www.change.org/p/alumni-urg...

2 8 9

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

Related academic work: link.springer.com/article/10.1... (but also: misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/misi... ). And on another mechanism through which AI can blow up social proofing mechanisms,

arxiv.org/pdf/2407.14452

arxiv.org

2 10

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Gregg Gonsalves @gregggonsalves.bsky.social · 1d

@himself.bsky.social says it clearly. It is not rocket science. It is solidarity. Time for alums, students, faculty and staff at universities to stand together against Trump's wannabe-authoritarianism. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

2 35 110

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Bonnie Honig, Henry Farrell , and 1 more Stephen M. Walt, Bonnie Honig, Henry Farrell, Elizabeth Stevenson

Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 1d

Henry Farrell on the Trump admin’s proposed “compact” for universities, arguing that the rollout signals weakness, and that academics need to band together to reject this authoritarian attack on university independence and academic freedom.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

2 61 130

Reposted by Henry Farrell, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Deva Woodly @devawo.bsky.social · 1d

@himself.bsky.social talking sense, as usual. Notably: “The administration would have played its cards differently if it had a stronger hand.”

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

2 33 96

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Elizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 1d

“This battle holds bigger lessons. The greatest weapon that the forces of regime change possess is the fear of inevitability. If everyone believes that Mr. Trump will succeed in reshaping America, he will.”

A great @himself.bsky.social column in the @nytimes.com.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

1 11 34

Reposted by Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe, Henry Farrell, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 1d

Great piece as always from @himself.bsky.social, on authoritarianism as a competitive instance of the coordination problem.

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

21 58

Reposted by Henry Farrell

Katy Glenn Bass @katygb.bsky.social · 1d

"The greatest weapon that the forces of regime change possess is the fear of inevitability. If everyone believes that Mr. Trump will succeed in reshaping America, he will." @himself.bsky.social on how civil society can win by sticking together (gift link)
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

1 10 14

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

Organized by my cousin Hugh McElroy's band Black Eyes

Andrew Beaujon @abeaujon.bsky.social · 1d

Today's music pick is by Protect-U, whose Aaron Leitko plays Rhizome tonight with Sensor Ghost and Luke Stewart to kick off D.C.'s Speaking in Tongues festival: linktr.ee/blackeyesdis...

Lunar Note, by Protect-U

from the album Protect-U - In Harmony Of An Interior World

u-udios.bandcamp.com

1 2

Reposted by Henry Farrell, Aviel Roshwald

Abu Aardvark’s Ghost @abuaardvark.bsky.social · 1d

“Their strategy is to play divide and conquer, rewarding friends and brutally punishing opponents. They win when society cracks, creating a self-enforcing set of expectations, in which everyone shuts up and complies because everyone expects everyone else to shut up and comply, too.” - excellent

Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 1d

Opinion | You Beat Trumpism by Banding Together. It’s as Hard and as Simple as That.

www.nytimes.com

23 44