Jacob T. Levy

@jacobtlevy.bsky.social

62K followers 1.1K following 14K posts

Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory, Associate member of Philosophy, Coordinator of Research Group on Constitutional Studies, McGill.
Posts here speak only for myself.
Americo-Canadian; liberaltarian; aging geek.
http://jacobtlevy.com .. more

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Jacob T. Levy is an American political theorist and Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory at McGill University. Levy is the Chair of the Department of Political Science at McGill, as well as the coordinator of McGill's Research Group on Constitutional Studies and the founding director of McGill's Yan P. Lin Centre for the Study of Freedom and Global Orders in the Ancient and Modern Worlds. Levy is also a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center and the Institute for Humane Studies. He is known for his expertise on multiculturalism, liberalism, and pluralism. .. more

Political science 68%

Law 8%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Philip Bump @pbump.com · 3h

These are the last words in the last column I wrote for The Washington Post, titled "When institutions crumble, strongmen step in". www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

This is nonetheless more favorable terrain for Trump than for the American system. As New York Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan once wrote (here in The Post), “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

Trump has for years stoked the idea that actually, having your own facts is fine. And even as his base chooses facts that he finds inconvenient in the moment, he’s still pushing toward the next phase: Everyone is entitled to the facts that Trump presents.

What institutions of power will be left to disagree?

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 4h

Oooh, nice

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 4h

www.bostonreview.net/forum/how-no...

How Not to Defeat Authoritarianism

Moderation used to help Democrats win, but its advantages now have been greatly exaggerated.

www.bostonreview.net

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 4h

So what’s the order of demolition? First comes the Arc de Trumph, then the nameplates on the Kennedy Center, then this?

(I assume the ballroom is going to call for something more careful than a wrecking ball.)

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 7h

New @washingtonpost.com:

Trump is planning to install a statue of Christopher Columbus outside the White House

Officials are eying a spot by E St, north of the Ellipse

with the terrific @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social

Trump plans to install Christopher Columbus statue outside White House

The president has worked to recognize the explorer, saying Italian-Americans should “remember” Trump’s efforts when they go vote.

www.washingtonpost.com

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Research Group on Constitutional Studies, McGill University @rgcs-mcgill.bsky.social · 5h

It's noteworthy that the speaker for tomorrow's RGCS Lecture, Tom Ginsburg (Law and Political Science, University of Chicago) is cited a number of times in the report. He is the Faculty Director for Chicago's Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression.

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Research Group on Constitutional Studies, McGill University @rgcs-mcgill.bsky.social · 5h

The overview of the recommendations from the Advisory Panel on Campus Expression's "Final report on campus expression at McGill University," a panel that included RGCS PhD student Rhona Goodarzi (Law) and RGCS faculty member Catherine Lu (Political Science).

www.mcgill.ca/president/si...

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

post malone ergo propter malone @proptermalone.bsky.social · 6h

the things that really stick in my craw about this- and not everybody on the anti-Stancil side is doing this- are the blithe and unquestioned assumptions that 1) violence is a good solution to this problem and 2) seniority in protest movements is what determines right-of-way for violence

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

post malone ergo propter malone @proptermalone.bsky.social · 6h

I really do not think that the “set fires” crew will ultimately be pleased with any implementation of a universal rule that if someone at a protest is acting in a way you feel might cause danger to you, you should assault them

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Dan Diamond @ddiamond.bsky.social · 7h

Trump plans to install Christopher Columbus statue outside White House

The president has worked to recognize the explorer, saying Italian-Americans should “remember” Trump’s efforts when they go vote.

www.washingtonpost.com

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 14h

Been offline cleansing my IRL timeline.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 22h

Is... is the implication that that's a lot?
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/01/b...

Nestlé’s Chief Is in Turnaround Mode. He Drinks 8 Cups of Coffee a Day.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Alan Richardson

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 22h

the golden calf could only dream of such tackiness.

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/03/t...

‘Don Colossus,’ a Golden Statue of President Trump, Waits for Its Home

www.nytimes.com

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 22h

www.smbc-comics.com/comic/waste

When life gives you intergalactic lemons

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Waste

www.smbc-comics.com

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

I reiterate my view that American Beauty is a particularly bizarre choice for Hanania to keep using as “normal healthy heterosexuality.”

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · Nov 19

Plus, you know, Alan Ball, that renowned observer of healthy heterosexuality.

(Ball is obviously very smart and very talented, but American Beauty taken together with Six Feet Under suggests a perspective on straight people that I do not think straight people should want to accept as normative.)

✨[redacted]✨ @britculpsapp.bsky.social · Nov 18

MAN WHAT?

using kevin spacey for a comparison or example here is definitely… a choice

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

First Wordle Problems @fwordleproblems.bsky.social · 1d

Your knowledge and experience are for a world where "protest" is a defined activity with unspoken codes and hierarchies. Where your authority is real. But once "normal" people are involved, when it's MASS protest, you're not in that world anymore! That stuff doesn't matter, or is actively harmful.

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Good Authority @goodauth.bsky.social · 1d

Three ways to get in-depth analysis, illuminate the news, and inform the political conversation:

• Read on our website: goodauthority.org
• Subscribe on Substack: goodauthority.substack.com
• Get updates by email: mailchi.mp/d99298093d4e...

Stay curious. Stay informed.

Good Authority - Political Science Insights to Illuminate the News

Political scientists draw on their expertise and the discipline’s research to provide in-depth analysis and inform the political conversation.

goodauthority.org

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Soon as I saw the NYT headline that the administration was dropping the $200m demand on Harvard I knew, just absolutely knew, that he would tweet out an escalation to ONE BILLION DOLLARS while denouncing the FAKE NEWS.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Unsubscribing right damn fast because my inbox will get out of control if it decides to notify me every time there's a strike in Montreal.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

I got signed up for some new travel alert system by an institution's travel agency, and now I'm getting warnings on both sides of an upcoming round trip between the US (possible political violence) and Montreal (municipal strike means possibility of delays in official functions.)

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine has had that white streak in her air since Steranko created her in 1967 which is the only, and I mean only, reason to think that the MCU didn't model the unpleasant, villainous, and at best semi-competent version played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Gabbard.

Reposted by Maya Sen, Jacob T. Levy, David Darmofal

Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 1d

Once again the Crusader Against Antisemitism proves himself the biggest antisemite of all.

Maya Sen @mayasen.bsky.social · 1d

Trump is now demanding One Billion Dollars from Harvard, threatening criminal punishment, and insinuating Harvard’s president was chosen because of his religion (?)

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Tom Ashbyトム ∙ アシュビー @tomaashby.bsky.social · 1d

For those who could not join us in Tokyo, there is now a recording available of John Dunn's Sakurada-kai Lecture, "Can Democracy be Rehabilitated?" at Keio. The print version is forthcoming @global-ih.bsky.social; I am just handling final edits. Here is the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMPr...

John Dunn: Can Democracy be Rehabilitated? (Lecture Part) - Sakuradakai Lecture at Keio University

YouTube video by 一般財団法人櫻田會 -Sakuradakai Foundation-

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1d

It doesn't always cover itself in glory but one thing the American legal profession has going for it is most of them have seen Judgment at Nuremberg.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

But “plenty” is pretty minor compared to Musk’s hate campaign about The Odyssey.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Richard E. Lenski, Scott L. Greer , and 6 more Anna O. Law, Richard E. Lenski, Scott L. Greer, Steve Peers, Mark D. White, Laurent Pech, David R. Miller, Jacob T. Levy, Joanna L. Grossman

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 1d

Judge Reyes starts with a comparison: George Washington versus Kristi Noem.

[start quotation] MEMORANDUM OPINION
On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: “America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of
all Nations & Religions.”1
More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President
Washington’s vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8
U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United
States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS
holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take."[end quotation]

Underneath is a screenshot of a tweet, which reads: " Secretary Kristi Noem
@Sec_Noem
I just met with the President.
I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.
Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom-not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS.
WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE.
6:52 PM
Dec 1, 2025
13.2M Views

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Robert Black @hurricanexyz.bsky.social · 1d

Cannot emphasize this enough, federal judges only do this when they're extremely distressed

Dan Froomkin/Press Watch/Heads Up News @froomkin.bsky.social · 1d

Haiti’s TPS continues for now!!!!! And zowie: https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214.124.0_1.pdf

VII. CONCLUSION
There is an old adage among lawyers. If you have the facts on your side, pound the
facts. If you have the law on your side, pound the law. If you have neither, pound the table.
Secretary Noem, the record to-date shows, does not have the facts on her side or at least has
ignored them. Does not have the law on her side or at least has ignored it. Having neither and
bringing the adage into the 21st century, she pounds X (f/k/a Twitter).
Kristi Noem has a First Amendment right to call immigrants killers, leeches, entitlement
junkies, and any other inapt name she wants. Secretary Noem, however, is constrained by both
our Constitution and the APA to apply faithfully the facts to the law in implementing the TPS
program. The record to-date shows she has yet to do that.
By accompanying Order, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for a Stay
Under 5 U.S.C. § 705.
Ara C. Regr

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

guggenheim42.bsky.social @guggenheim42.bsky.social · 1d

It's only a betrayal of the source material if the new character appearance is non-white. Otherwise it's sparkling adaptation choices.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Weird how no one is making a big fuss out of the fact that this character is explicitly canonically not blonde. Has this director "lost all integrity"?