Lily Mason
@lilymasonphd.bsky.social
Political scientist at Johns Hopkins, author of Uncivil Agreement and co-author of Radical American Partisanship
Reposted by Lily Mason
X's location "transparency" feature showing many MAGA accounts are based internationally reveals what we already knew: The world is using American social media and American politics as a slot machine and social media companies are directly incentivizing this:
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
America’s Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle
The 'psyops' revealed by X are entirely the fault of the perverse incentives created by social media monetization programs.
www.404media.co
November 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
X's location "transparency" feature showing many MAGA accounts are based internationally reveals what we already knew: The world is using American social media and American politics as a slot machine and social media companies are directly incentivizing this:
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
www.404media.co/americas-pol...
Reposted by Lily Mason
Do Americans judge acts of partisan political violence impartially? No. We show that Democrats and Republicans exhibit clear partisan bias: both see the same violent act as more justified when it targets the other party than when it targets their own side.
osf.io/preprints/so...
#polisky
osf.io/preprints/so...
#polisky
November 24, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Do Americans judge acts of partisan political violence impartially? No. We show that Democrats and Republicans exhibit clear partisan bias: both see the same violent act as more justified when it targets the other party than when it targets their own side.
osf.io/preprints/so...
#polisky
osf.io/preprints/so...
#polisky
Reposted by Lily Mason
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Reposted by Lily Mason
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by Lily Mason
Underappreciated lesson from 2016: most fake news was run for profit (not ideology) & right-wing fake news thrived because it sold better than left-wing fake news. X takes that to next level with a social media platform designed for right-wing users, intentionally incentivizing right-wing fake news.
Twitter pays people based on engagement (views, retweets, comments, etc). It appears that many MAGA accounts are based abroad and they use AI technology to generate low-effort rage bait.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
My guess is that this will get worse as AI tech improves. For instance, fake videos of minorities doing crime.
November 23, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Underappreciated lesson from 2016: most fake news was run for profit (not ideology) & right-wing fake news thrived because it sold better than left-wing fake news. X takes that to next level with a social media platform designed for right-wing users, intentionally incentivizing right-wing fake news.
Reposted by Lily Mason
Meets Zohran on Friday, dressing like an East Village poet who wrote something called "A Fairest Autumn" by Saturday.
November 22, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Meets Zohran on Friday, dressing like an East Village poet who wrote something called "A Fairest Autumn" by Saturday.
Reposted by Lily Mason
Calling something "scientific orthodoxy" rather than "established fact" or even "scientific consensus" is so incredibly damaging.
November 21, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Calling something "scientific orthodoxy" rather than "established fact" or even "scientific consensus" is so incredibly damaging.
In 2023 a photographer from the Newfoundland town of Dildo captured images of a penis-shaped iceberg off the Canadian coast in Conception Bay.
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
November 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
In 2023 a photographer from the Newfoundland town of Dildo captured images of a penis-shaped iceberg off the Canadian coast in Conception Bay.
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
www.livescience.com/planet-earth...
Reposted by Lily Mason
Behind this important reversal is a member of the Coast Guard who saw what was happening and had the courage to leak it to the press. That person deserves serious praise.
November 21, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Behind this important reversal is a member of the Coast Guard who saw what was happening and had the courage to leak it to the press. That person deserves serious praise.
At some point we’ll need to deal with the fact that the word “jailbait” exists and most people know what it means.
November 21, 2025 at 1:26 PM
At some point we’ll need to deal with the fact that the word “jailbait” exists and most people know what it means.
New report from us at @snfagora.bsky.social and partnered with @publicagenda.bsky.social finds the GOP evenly divided into 3 main camps: those who think Trump should be able to defy the courts, those who think he shouldn't, and those who aren't sure.
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com/understanding/
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com/understanding/
Understanding Evolving Republican Attitudes Towards Democracy
Survey from SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins and Public Agenda Pinpoint Distinct Divides Within Republican Party
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:47 PM
New report from us at @snfagora.bsky.social and partnered with @publicagenda.bsky.social finds the GOP evenly divided into 3 main camps: those who think Trump should be able to defy the courts, those who think he shouldn't, and those who aren't sure.
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com/understanding/
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com/understanding/
Reposted by Lily Mason
So I would say in general when a headline like this happens things would not be going well
*LEAVITT: TRUMP DOES NOT WANT TO EXECUTE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
November 20, 2025 at 7:29 PM
So I would say in general when a headline like this happens things would not be going well
Reposted by Lily Mason
The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed. "HANG THEM", he posted.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
November 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The President of the United States just called for Democratic members of Congress to be executed. "HANG THEM", he posted.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
If you're a person of influence in this country and you haven't picked a side, maybe now would be the time to pick a fucking side.
Reposted by Lily Mason
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN CONGRESS should be pressed about Trump calling for their colleagues to be killed
November 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN CONGRESS should be pressed about Trump calling for their colleagues to be killed
Reposted by Lily Mason
And yet elite mainstream discourse seems to be hyperfixated on how the left flank of the Democratic Party alienates people
Not the point of @gelliottmorris.com piece, but look at this divide among Republicans on social issues. Half of them look like normal people and the other half are way out of step with the rest of the country. There’s a bit of a mirror on the left but much smaller.
November 20, 2025 at 2:45 PM
And yet elite mainstream discourse seems to be hyperfixated on how the left flank of the Democratic Party alienates people
Reposted by Lily Mason
Reposted by Lily Mason
Most Americans say U.S. democracy faces serious challenges. New SNF Agora and Public Agenda data show clear divides among Republicans. Explore the data: buff.ly/cN70XY1
Understanding Evolving Republican Attitudes Towards Democracy
Survey from SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins and Public Agenda Pinpoint Distinct Divides Within Republican Party
snf-agora.shorthandstories.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Most Americans say U.S. democracy faces serious challenges. New SNF Agora and Public Agenda data show clear divides among Republicans. Explore the data: buff.ly/cN70XY1
Reposted by Lily Mason
Very important piece here - we really need to escape the pundit-brain thinking that imagines voters think about politics in the same ideological way people who think about politics all the time think about politics. Because they don't.
Good morning. I've got a banger new post out today that develops a new method for placing voters on the left-right ideological spectrum, and adds a new, "non-ideological"/affordability axis to usual way we chart & think about US voters (esp swing voters). www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
Not just left vs right: Most voters think about affordability and material wellbeing, not in ideological terms
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 20, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Very important piece here - we really need to escape the pundit-brain thinking that imagines voters think about politics in the same ideological way people who think about politics all the time think about politics. Because they don't.
Reposted by Lily Mason
New research: Public Agenda, in partnership with @snfagora.bsky.social, finds that Americans are deeply concerned about democracy, with partisan divides sharpened by Republican disagreements about presidential authority and the balance of powers.
Full findings: publicagenda.org/resource/pa-...
Full findings: publicagenda.org/resource/pa-...
Understanding Evolving Republican Attitudes Towards Democracy - Public Agenda
Public Agenda and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University are working together to understand Americans’ beliefs about democratic practices and principles. Previous work led by the SNF Agor...
publicagenda.org
November 20, 2025 at 2:04 PM
New research: Public Agenda, in partnership with @snfagora.bsky.social, finds that Americans are deeply concerned about democracy, with partisan divides sharpened by Republican disagreements about presidential authority and the balance of powers.
Full findings: publicagenda.org/resource/pa-...
Full findings: publicagenda.org/resource/pa-...
Not the point of @gelliottmorris.com piece, but look at this divide among Republicans on social issues. Half of them look like normal people and the other half are way out of step with the rest of the country. There’s a bit of a mirror on the left but much smaller.
November 20, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Not the point of @gelliottmorris.com piece, but look at this divide among Republicans on social issues. Half of them look like normal people and the other half are way out of step with the rest of the country. There’s a bit of a mirror on the left but much smaller.
Reposted by Lily Mason
From @gelliottmorris.com: “Most voters are simply not that ideological, with the canonical estimates in political science indicating that at best 20-25% of the population thinks about political issues in ideological terms.
Our analysis affirms these findings from the academic literature.”
Our analysis affirms these findings from the academic literature.”
Good morning. I've got a banger new post out today that develops a new method for placing voters on the left-right ideological spectrum, and adds a new, "non-ideological"/affordability axis to usual way we chart & think about US voters (esp swing voters). www.gelliottmorris.com/p/not-just-l...
Not just left vs right: Most voters think about affordability and material wellbeing, not in ideological terms
Most voters want a party that emphasizes cost of living issues and makes the world a better place. Few Americans think in solidly ideologically terms. "Moderates" are mostly non-ideological.
www.gelliottmorris.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:39 PM
From @gelliottmorris.com: “Most voters are simply not that ideological, with the canonical estimates in political science indicating that at best 20-25% of the population thinks about political issues in ideological terms.
Our analysis affirms these findings from the academic literature.”
Our analysis affirms these findings from the academic literature.”
Reposted by Lily Mason
The Eric Schickler essay in Larry Bartel's symposium on "What Trump Has Taught Us About Political Science" is one of the most insightful pieces I've read in 2025.
US institutions turned out to be weak, and we have to rethink conventional wisdom.
open access: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
US institutions turned out to be weak, and we have to rethink conventional wisdom.
open access: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
November 19, 2025 at 8:08 PM
The Eric Schickler essay in Larry Bartel's symposium on "What Trump Has Taught Us About Political Science" is one of the most insightful pieces I've read in 2025.
US institutions turned out to be weak, and we have to rethink conventional wisdom.
open access: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
US institutions turned out to be weak, and we have to rethink conventional wisdom.
open access: academic.oup.com/psq/advance-...
The Dems have been effectively protecting Americans from the GOPs worst ideas for decades - warning that the ideas are terrible. The GOP finally got to enact its worst ideas and it turns out they are terrible.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Republicans aren't only losing elections, they're consistently losing support on prices and the economy, in all polls, big or small, Republican or Democrat, over a several-month period.
You can't spin yourself out of reality.
You can't spin yourself out of reality.
Behind the Curtain: Republicans see dire 2026 warning signs in these 5 polls
Everywhere Republicans look, they see big political trouble.
www.axios.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:10 PM
The Dems have been effectively protecting Americans from the GOPs worst ideas for decades - warning that the ideas are terrible. The GOP finally got to enact its worst ideas and it turns out they are terrible.
Reposted by Lily Mason
Oh, I don’t know. Our rivers no longer catch on fire and our air is far less poisonous than it used to be, even in smog bowls like Los Angeles. And I think those are good things.
If there’s no shale gas then there’s no shale gas, but I still think environmentalism is basically bad and politicians should focus more on material prosperity.
November 19, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Oh, I don’t know. Our rivers no longer catch on fire and our air is far less poisonous than it used to be, even in smog bowls like Los Angeles. And I think those are good things.
Reposted by Lily Mason
i was literally just looking for that to make this point. More people have been "cancelled" for charlie kirk blasphemy than the during the entire cancel culture panic.
November 19, 2025 at 2:55 PM
i was literally just looking for that to make this point. More people have been "cancelled" for charlie kirk blasphemy than the during the entire cancel culture panic.