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Robert J. Spitzer

@spitzerb.bsky.social

74 followers 19 following 19 posts

Distinguished Service Prof. emeritus, Pol. Sci. SUNY Cortland; author The Gun Dilemma (@oxunipress.bsky.social 2023), The Politics of Gun Control 9th ed. (2024)

Robert James Spitzer is an American political scientist, commentator, and author. Spitzer is the author of numerous books, articles, essays, papers, and op-eds on many topics related to American politics. His areas of specialty include the American presidency and gun politics. .. more

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Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · 10d

How about “Trump”?

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · 10d

We still need a word for someone both evil and incompetent.

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · 10d

We still need a word for someone both evil and incompetent.

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jack Rakove @jrakove.bsky.social · 17d

The main point UE advocates neglect is that the Framers emphasized responsibility as the key duty and perpetual obligation of a unitary executive while the ostensible virtues of energy, vigor, dispatch, and secrecy were only advantages of decision-making that would be exercised only occasionally..

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 17d

genuinely crazy to me how unitary executive advocates read the vesting clause as granting a huge scope of essentially royal "inherent" powers. one would think that if the framers intended to give the president royal authority, they would have just said so.

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · 28d

Sadly relevant at this moment: the Trump administration's proposal to strip gun rights from trans people; my take: thehill.com/opinion/civi...

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jack Rakove @jrakove.bsky.social · 29d

Proud to contribute an essay on "A Brief Biography of the Second Amendment" to this amazing collection.

www.vitalcitynyc.org/issues/issue...

Vital City | Issue 13

The supply side of America's gun problem

www.vitalcitynyc.org

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · 29d

@scholars.org Happy to join with SSN colleague Giraldi as a contributor to this series on guns in the U.S.: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns

Era by era, how firearms conquered America

www.vitalcitynyc.org

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · 29d

Our country's gun past isn't what most people think: in many respects, guns were more heavily regulated in the nation's first 300 years than in the last 30, and the spread of firearms owes more to marketing than necessity. My piece: www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/one...

Vital City | One Nation Under Guns

Era by era, how firearms conquered America

www.vitalcitynyc.org

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 29d

Gun violence affects thousands in the U.S. each year. In this policy brief, @deannagiraldi.bsky.social (@dspi-oxford.bsky.social) shares gaps in research and calls for inclusive, tailored studies and policies that address the real impacts of gun violence.

🔗 Read now: scholars.org/contribution...

Reposted by Bryan D. Jones, American Library Association, Robert J. Spitzer , and 8 more Bryan D. Jones, American Library Association, Robert J. Spitzer, Berk Özler, Daniel W. Drezner, Michael Kevane, David R. Miller, James Goodwin, David Bartram, Dan Immergluck, Timothy D. McBride

Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · Sep 8

"Half the population” of greater Los Angeles "now meet the government’s criteria for reasonable suspicion," in the wake of today's 6-3 SCOTUS ruling.

www.latimes.com/politics/sto...

Supreme Court upholds 'roving patrols' for immigration arrests in Los Angeles

The Supreme Court says immigration agents may stop and question people they suspect are here illegally based on little more than working at a car wash, speaking Spanish or having brown skin.

www.latimes.com

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jake Charles @jacobdcharles.bsky.social · Sep 8

Well that’s quite the push notification.

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

David Cay Johnston @davidcayjohnston.bsky.social · Sep 7

Jennifer and I drove 90 minutes through the Finger Lakes countryside yesterday to meet with 60 fans - from Alaska to Florida - of socially conscious comedian Pete Dominick standupwithpete.com and all I got was a jar of honey - fabulous honey from Slate Hill Edible Forest Farm in Marcellus NY.👍🏼 😅

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

David Cay Johnston @davidcayjohnston.bsky.social · Aug 5

Tonight at 7PM I'll speak on How to Save Our Democracy at the Riviera Theatre in Geneseo about 30 minutes south of Rochester.

The Riviera Theatre
4 Center St
Geneseo, NY 14454

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · Jul 26

“The director of national intelligence and the White House are lying, again.”

www.nbcnews.com/politics/nat...

Gabbard and White House 'lying' about intel on Russian interference in 2016, ex-CIA official says

"We definitely had the intel," Susan Miller, who helped oversee the 2017 intelligence assessment of Russia's efforts in the 2016 election, told NBC News.

www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jake Charles @jacobdcharles.bsky.social · Jul 24

Ahhh our casebook is officially published & on the way!!! If you have any interest in teaching (or learning about!) the Second Amendment or firearms law, I hope you'll consider our casebook! Feel free to reach out with any questions about the book or the field!!

www.westacademic.com/Blocher-Char...

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jul 23

Don't know if I've ever read a better piece on Unitary executive, presl power run amok in age of Trump: www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

This Is the Presidency John Roberts Has Built

The country is witnessing the creation of an all-powerful institution, and one man is responsible.

www.theatlantic.com

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jul 8

As I note the ATF has been barred from computerizing its records since the 1980s; the building holding the paper records nearly collapsed a few years ago. Make any sense? Read on…

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 7

In this op-ed, @spitzerb.bsky.social explains how Trump is dismantling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, rolling back ghost gun regulations, and ultimately making it easier for criminals to get guns. #GunPolicy

@thehill.com:

Trump is making it easier than ever for criminals to get guns

Central to the Trump administration’s deregulation of gun access is its evisceration of the federal agency charged with administering the nation’s gun laws, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms…

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jul 7

In this op-ed, @spitzerb.bsky.social explains how Trump is dismantling the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, rolling back ghost gun regulations, and ultimately making it easier for criminals to get guns. #GunPolicy

@thehill.com:

Trump is making it easier than ever for criminals to get guns

Central to the Trump administration’s deregulation of gun access is its evisceration of the federal agency charged with administering the nation’s gun laws, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms…

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jul 3

@davidcayjohnston.bsky.social‬ Given your post from last week, thought you'd find my new piece @thehill.com of interest on Trump admin dismantling of ATF, criminals, and guns: thehill.com/opinion/crim...

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jul 3

New de facto Trump policy, apparently-make sure criminals can get guns. My @thehill.com piece: thehill.com/opinion/crim...

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jack Rakove @jrakove.bsky.social · Jul 2

If you want a podcast suitable for the 4th of July, I hope not the last one we will celebrate as citizens of a free state, this might be of interest. It's based on my book, Revolutionaries: A New History of the Invention of America.

pioneerinstitute.org/featured/sta...

Stanford's Pulitzer Winner Jack Rakove on American Independence | Featured Latest News

Learn all about Stanford's Pulitzer Winner Jack Rakove on American Independence and other public policy research within Featured from Pioneer Institute.

pioneerinstitute.org

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jack Rakove @jrakove.bsky.social · Jun 30

For all you constitutionalists, Madisonians, and Cubs fans: I'll be on @lastword.msnbc.com tonight at the :45 mark to further discuss
washingtonmonthly.com/2025/06/27/i...

It’s Not Just a Constitutional Crisis in the Trump Era. It’s Constitutional Failure | Washington Monthly

While Trump defies constitutional norms, Congress remains conspicuously silent and the Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility.

washingtonmonthly.com

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Robert J. Spitzer, Johann N. Neem , and 2 more Stephan Lewandowsky, Robert J. Spitzer, Johann N. Neem, Adrian Streete, Daniel B. Rodriguez

Jack Rakove @jrakove.bsky.social · Jun 27

This is a subject I have been brooding about for some time. I am grateful to the Washington Monthly for posting this piece.

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/06/27/i...

It’s Not Just a Constitutional Crisis in the Trump Era. It’s Constitutional Failure | Washington Monthly

While Trump defies constitutional norms, Congress remains conspicuously silent and the Supreme Court has abdicated its responsibility.

washingtonmonthly.com

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · Jun 27

“The soft power suicide of the U.S. will be incomprehensible to future historians who will be dumbfounded in their attempts to explain why the global leader voluntarily wrecked one of its greatest national assets.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/24/b...

As U.S. Dismantles Voice of America, Rival Powers Hope to Fill the Void

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

David Cay Johnston @davidcayjohnston.bsky.social · Jun 11

Eight years ago, David Crook and I warned you at DCReport of exactly what's happening today.
Given DCReport's consistent track record of being both accurate and way, way ahead of the curve, and noting that it's free with no ads, I suggest you read it daily.
www.dcreport.org/2017/07/19/i...

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jun 5

When the Supreme Court ruled that licensing gun carry permits lacked support in the “American tradition,” it turns out they were mistaken: firearmslaw.duke.edu/2025/06/hist...

Historic Weapons Licensing Laws | Duke Center for Firearms Law

firearmslaw.duke.edu

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · Jun 5

The House has passed a bill that would cut funding for #Medicaid, #SNAP, & more. In this brief, @chris-howard.bsky.social ‬ @wm.edu‬ writes about the impact this bill could have in #Virginia & the lack of public support these cuts have.

📄 Read the brief: scholars.org/contribution...

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Jake Charles @jacobdcharles.bsky.social · Jun 4

Thorough piece here on Bruen's fallout! Also, the opening anecdote gives some indication of what the modern gun rights movement is like.

Reposted by Robert J. Spitzer

Duke Center for Firearms Law @dukefirearmslaw.bsky.social · Jun 4

Today on the blog: in a guest post, gun historian @spitzerb.bsky.social examines historical weapon licensing laws and argues that they were "a ubiquitous regulatory tool from the country’s beginning." firearmslaw.duke.edu/2025/06/hist...

Historic Weapons Licensing Laws | Duke Center for Firearms Law

firearmslaw.duke.edu

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jun 3

High Noon = Gary Cooper.

Robert J. Spitzer @spitzerb.bsky.social · Jun 2

Turns out historic gun licensing/permitting is an old and prolific policy technique, long predating the 20th century. My new research article on the subject: ideas.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu/cgi/viewcont...

ideas.dickinsonlaw.psu.edu