Brian Cook
@2ndadminstate.bsky.social
Tinkering with the Constitution has failed. The American commercial republic must be reconstructed.
Professor Emeritus, Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Democracy is for friends and citizens, not masters and slaves"
Wilson Carey McWilliams
Professor Emeritus, Public Administration & Policy, Virginia Tech.
"Democracy is for friends and citizens, not masters and slaves"
Wilson Carey McWilliams
Coming January 1, the 250th anniversary of a "defining moment of the American Revolution when Gen. George Washington established the Continental Army and responded to escalating British pressure with the raising of the Great Union Flag on Prospect Hill." www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/144...
December 24, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Coming January 1, the 250th anniversary of a "defining moment of the American Revolution when Gen. George Washington established the Continental Army and responded to escalating British pressure with the raising of the Great Union Flag on Prospect Hill." www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/144...
Recirculating this because it is so clear and powerful.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
December 13, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Recirculating this because it is so clear and powerful.
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
www.techdirt.com/2025/11/26/o...
This is amazing! I received another form letter from Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley @pressley.house.gov. This year's FIFTH such identical form letter I received in response to writing to her office regarding impeachment. I've never received any substantive follow up, not even "stop bothering me."
December 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM
This is amazing! I received another form letter from Congresswomen Ayanna Pressley @pressley.house.gov. This year's FIFTH such identical form letter I received in response to writing to her office regarding impeachment. I've never received any substantive follow up, not even "stop bothering me."
Couldn't resist adding my two cents to this, from the concluding paragraph of my Fourth Branch book.
December 7, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Couldn't resist adding my two cents to this, from the concluding paragraph of my Fourth Branch book.
I like data, so even though I don't particularly trust Gallup methods, this is what we have from recent history. But really, Americans have not been enamored of Congress since 1789.
news.gallup.com/poll/1600/co...
news.gallup.com/poll/1600/co...
December 3, 2025 at 2:46 PM
I like data, so even though I don't particularly trust Gallup methods, this is what we have from recent history. But really, Americans have not been enamored of Congress since 1789.
news.gallup.com/poll/1600/co...
news.gallup.com/poll/1600/co...
My proposal for a better way for administrators of all types to say 'no' to a president would still get this result. But it would be on firmer ethical and small 'r' republican grounds. And it would be a way for those dismissed to demonstrate that saying 'no' is a defense of the presidency.
November 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
My proposal for a better way for administrators of all types to say 'no' to a president would still get this result. But it would be on firmer ethical and small 'r' republican grounds. And it would be a way for those dismissed to demonstrate that saying 'no' is a defense of the presidency.
New Update!
I received a reply of sorts to my letter sent to the CEO of T-Mobile US @t-mobileus.bsky.social. 1) It obviously was not written or edited by a human (note the salutation, lol); 2) The main message: "Our hands are clean! Honest!" 3) Corporate boilerplate.
Tell me what you think!
I received a reply of sorts to my letter sent to the CEO of T-Mobile US @t-mobileus.bsky.social. 1) It obviously was not written or edited by a human (note the salutation, lol); 2) The main message: "Our hands are clean! Honest!" 3) Corporate boilerplate.
Tell me what you think!
November 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
New Update!
I received a reply of sorts to my letter sent to the CEO of T-Mobile US @t-mobileus.bsky.social. 1) It obviously was not written or edited by a human (note the salutation, lol); 2) The main message: "Our hands are clean! Honest!" 3) Corporate boilerplate.
Tell me what you think!
I received a reply of sorts to my letter sent to the CEO of T-Mobile US @t-mobileus.bsky.social. 1) It obviously was not written or edited by a human (note the salutation, lol); 2) The main message: "Our hands are clean! Honest!" 3) Corporate boilerplate.
Tell me what you think!
Let's check in on the National Airspace System...
Uh oh ‼️
Uh oh ‼️
November 11, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Let's check in on the National Airspace System...
Uh oh ‼️
Uh oh ‼️
Early in the 1912 presidential election, one of the candidates made this argument 👇. No, it was not Theodore Roosevelt or Eugene V. Debs.
November 6, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Early in the 1912 presidential election, one of the candidates made this argument 👇. No, it was not Theodore Roosevelt or Eugene V. Debs.
I think often now about this memorial on Boston Common. How is it we are allowing the sacrifice of these men, and of all the other women and men, enslaved and free, to be trampled in the mud and wasted. Their spirits will never forgive us.
October 21, 2025 at 8:45 PM
I think often now about this memorial on Boston Common. How is it we are allowing the sacrifice of these men, and of all the other women and men, enslaved and free, to be trampled in the mud and wasted. Their spirits will never forgive us.
Happy Constitution Day!
September 17, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Happy Constitution Day!
Great work, everybody!
September 17, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Great work, everybody!
This is from Daniel Ellsburg’s book, The Doomsday Machine. Why can’t Americans get it together to do this now? Two million people in 1969 was nearly 1 percent of the US population! Work and school stoppages! Why not now??
September 16, 2025 at 7:10 PM
This is from Daniel Ellsburg’s book, The Doomsday Machine. Why can’t Americans get it together to do this now? Two million people in 1969 was nearly 1 percent of the US population! Work and school stoppages! Why not now??
It does, although I'm not sure what makes it a "stunning new history."
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
September 6, 2025 at 9:51 PM
It does, although I'm not sure what makes it a "stunning new history."
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
And I wonder what Jeremy Bailey will think, given his exploration of Madison's struggles with the idea of constitutional veneration.
This really might come in handy very soon. Maybe more cities and towns should have them.
August 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
This really might come in handy very soon. Maybe more cities and towns should have them.
Always fun little surprises when you take time to explore New England…
August 28, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Always fun little surprises when you take time to explore New England…
Here's a possible explanation for @kjephd.bsky.social's miracle: gun ownership is lower where the fascist takeover is concentrating its initial attacks.
August 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Here's a possible explanation for @kjephd.bsky.social's miracle: gun ownership is lower where the fascist takeover is concentrating its initial attacks.
For what it's worth, in my book on creating a fourth administrative branch under the Constitution, I use the BLS as a possible model for the political appointee structure for all administrative agencies in such a new fourth branch.
August 1, 2025 at 2:43 PM
For what it's worth, in my book on creating a fourth administrative branch under the Constitution, I use the BLS as a possible model for the political appointee structure for all administrative agencies in such a new fourth branch.
It's all good, folks!
It's all good...
It's all good...
August 1, 2025 at 1:44 PM
It's all good, folks!
It's all good...
It's all good...
Prospect Hill now in the City of Somerville, MA and a beautiful urban park and place of history education.
August 1, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Prospect Hill now in the City of Somerville, MA and a beautiful urban park and place of history education.
The Partnership for Public Service has created a 'Federal Harms Tracker' to reflect the all-out assault on the federal civil service. They count over 148,000 who have left federal service so far.
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
August 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
The Partnership for Public Service has created a 'Federal Harms Tracker' to reflect the all-out assault on the federal civil service. They count over 148,000 who have left federal service so far.
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
ourpublicservice.org/federal-harm...
What I wrote five years ago seems even more apt now. Continuing to cling to the notion that we’ll be able to make repairs from the heaps of ash and broken bricks of our degenerate republic is foolish. We must create something better.
July 14, 2025 at 8:48 PM
What I wrote five years ago seems even more apt now. Continuing to cling to the notion that we’ll be able to make repairs from the heaps of ash and broken bricks of our degenerate republic is foolish. We must create something better.
As Western Europe swelters now, and the US has had 1200 tornadoes so far this year, this is not good . . .
July 1, 2025 at 6:51 PM
As Western Europe swelters now, and the US has had 1200 tornadoes so far this year, this is not good . . .
Concord Museum, Concord, Massachusetts.
June 30, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Concord Museum, Concord, Massachusetts.