Dan Bowen
@bowendc.bsky.social
Political scientist and Public Policy Graduate Director @TCNJ.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
This composition had eluded me for nearly a decade, but yesterday I was finally able to capture it. A train rolled through just as the Duquesne Incline was crossing over the tracks in #Pittsburgh, creating a picture perfect winter scene. It was worth the hours and hours I've waited over the years.
December 3, 2025 at 2:06 PM
This composition had eluded me for nearly a decade, but yesterday I was finally able to capture it. A train rolled through just as the Duquesne Incline was crossing over the tracks in #Pittsburgh, creating a picture perfect winter scene. It was worth the hours and hours I've waited over the years.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
You can help Bolts continue to provide crucial coverage of local elections. Here's how:
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
Support Bolts
We are a nonprofit publication that covers the nuts and bolts of political change, from the local up, and we need reader support to build our journalism.
boltsmag.org
December 3, 2025 at 6:20 PM
You can help Bolts continue to provide crucial coverage of local elections. Here's how:
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
- Repost this = I donate $1.
- Follow @boltsmag.org = I donate $1.
- Donate (link below) + tell me how much = I match your donation.
(Donate monthly = I match a year's worth)
Reposted by Dan Bowen
The precinct boundary and election data we produce was used in just about every major redistricting lawsuit. It improved representation for communities of color and resulted in the fairest national congressional map in decades. We need your support to carry our important work forward
December 2, 2025 at 4:22 PM
The precinct boundary and election data we produce was used in just about every major redistricting lawsuit. It improved representation for communities of color and resulted in the fairest national congressional map in decades. We need your support to carry our important work forward
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Doctors are less likely to want a residency in states with abortion bans per research with @mjnelson.bsky.social
Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans.
It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans.
It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
December 1, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Doctors are less likely to want a residency in states with abortion bans per research with @mjnelson.bsky.social
Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans.
It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans.
It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Dan Bowen
One of my heartfelt beliefs is that different teachers will be better at teaching different texts different ways w/in the same topic. To force a fixed curriculum is to intentionally elide that teachers are individual human beings w unique engagements w the ideas they communicate to students.
December 1, 2025 at 3:39 PM
One of my heartfelt beliefs is that different teachers will be better at teaching different texts different ways w/in the same topic. To force a fixed curriculum is to intentionally elide that teachers are individual human beings w unique engagements w the ideas they communicate to students.
Hey, you know what doesn't matter?
Party slogans chosen by congressional leaders.
Party slogans chosen by congressional leaders.
November 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Hey, you know what doesn't matter?
Party slogans chosen by congressional leaders.
Party slogans chosen by congressional leaders.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Ok, I added teeth back.
November 28, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Ok, I added teeth back.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Abraham Lincoln, 1855.
www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/spee...
www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/spee...
![I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor or degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes" When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy [sic].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:egd33s7iuqsmwlwab6mbtrqi/bafkreiaaicjid4jg3oongeah73ukqvwsqv4vwbp75q4f755nldtcfermhi@jpeg)
November 28, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Abraham Lincoln, 1855.
www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/spee...
www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/spee...
Reposted by Dan Bowen
It’d be exciting to think that Bluesky has people pretending to be American like Twitter but I honestly don’t think they could talk about Star Trek Deep Space 9 the way it’s expected here without having watched all the episodes a dozen times
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
It’d be exciting to think that Bluesky has people pretending to be American like Twitter but I honestly don’t think they could talk about Star Trek Deep Space 9 the way it’s expected here without having watched all the episodes a dozen times
Reposted by Dan Bowen
From The Archives: ‘We Will Never Speak Of This Again,’ Says Trump To Mohammed Bin Salman As They Dump Khashoggi’s Body Into New Jersey River https://theonion.com/we-will-never-speak-of-this-again-says-trump-to-moha-1830547181/
November 18, 2025 at 6:46 PM
From The Archives: ‘We Will Never Speak Of This Again,’ Says Trump To Mohammed Bin Salman As They Dump Khashoggi’s Body Into New Jersey River https://theonion.com/we-will-never-speak-of-this-again-says-trump-to-moha-1830547181/
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Reporter to MBS: "U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist..."
Trump: "Fake news...He's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about…things happen."
Trump: "Fake news...He's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about…things happen."
November 18, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Reporter to MBS: "U.S. intelligence concluded that you orchestrated the brutal murder of a journalist..."
Trump: "Fake news...He's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about…things happen."
Trump: "Fake news...He's done a phenomenal job. You're mentioning someone who was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about…things happen."
Reposted by Dan Bowen
A staggering statistic: "North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year." What are we doing?
We wrote the Strain on scientific publishing to highlight the problems of time & trust. With a fantastic group of co-authors, we present The Drain of Scientific Publishing:
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
a 🧵 1/n
Drain: arxiv.org/abs/2511.04820
Strain: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
Oligopoly: direct.mit.edu/qss/article/...
November 12, 2025 at 1:58 PM
A staggering statistic: "North American researchers were charged over US$2.27 billion by just two for-profit publishers. The Canadian research councils and the US National Science Foundation were allocated US$9.3 billion in that year." What are we doing?
Reposted by Dan Bowen
If the U.S. had 100 people, what would religious affiliation look like? 🧵👇
Find the full analysis here:
Find the full analysis here:
If the U.S. had 100 people: Charting Americans’ religious affiliations
If the U.S. had 100 people, 62 would be Christians, including 40 Protestants, 19 Catholics, two Latter-day Saints and two who identify with other Christian groups.
www.pewresearch.org
November 14, 2025 at 3:05 PM
If the U.S. had 100 people, what would religious affiliation look like? 🧵👇
Find the full analysis here:
Find the full analysis here:
Reposted by Dan Bowen
@thenewjerseyer.bsky.social has unearthed a crazy nugget here, from an interview with incoming NJ governor Mikie Sherrill. She clearly says that she stopped talking about building new housing, even though she thinks it's a good idea, because most every voter she spoke to hated the idea!! (1/5)
November 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
@thenewjerseyer.bsky.social has unearthed a crazy nugget here, from an interview with incoming NJ governor Mikie Sherrill. She clearly says that she stopped talking about building new housing, even though she thinks it's a good idea, because most every voter she spoke to hated the idea!! (1/5)
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Turns out poor people spent a lot of money on tea and sugar *because they were poor* and that was their inadequate replacement for unaffordable things like cooking fuel, food with actual nutritional content, and enough calories to slave away over a loom for 12 hours.
November 11, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Turns out poor people spent a lot of money on tea and sugar *because they were poor* and that was their inadequate replacement for unaffordable things like cooking fuel, food with actual nutritional content, and enough calories to slave away over a loom for 12 hours.
Bucks County, PA
Trump flipped Bucks County, a swing county in Pennsylvania, last year.
The GOP sheriff enthusiastically followed his lead, partnering with ICE to help Trump’s deportations.
Dems flipped the office by 11% last week, ousting the sheriff after promising to end the ICE contact.
The GOP sheriff enthusiastically followed his lead, partnering with ICE to help Trump’s deportations.
Dems flipped the office by 11% last week, ousting the sheriff after promising to end the ICE contact.
Voters Ousted This Pennsylvania Sheriff After He Signed Up to Collaborate With ICE - Bolts
A populous, swing county replaced its GOP sheriff on Tuesday after months of controversy over his joining ICE’s 287(g) program. The Democratic winner promises he’ll end the contract.
boltsmag.org
November 12, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Bucks County, PA
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Assume all the yes and no votes from Dem senators are strategic and not sincere votes. The party caucus made a decision. No way to know how many were in favor. Then the caucus decided who would vote yes and no based on what would protect each of them politically the most. That’s how this works.
November 10, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Assume all the yes and no votes from Dem senators are strategic and not sincere votes. The party caucus made a decision. No way to know how many were in favor. Then the caucus decided who would vote yes and no based on what would protect each of them politically the most. That’s how this works.
Yes. And it has had all sorts of cultural implications too. American evangelicalism is now largely white Southern Baptism spread across the country.
It cannot be overstated how much swallowing up the Dixiecrats post Civil Rights turned the GOP into a party of Southerners and turned everywhere governed by Republicans into the South.
November 7, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Yes. And it has had all sorts of cultural implications too. American evangelicalism is now largely white Southern Baptism spread across the country.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
Attention pollsters, election nerds, and associated #MitofSKY folks: in honor of Ann Selzer's victory, @raygunsite.com has produced a run of "Polling is not a Crime" shirts.
Order yours today!
Order yours today!
Polling Is Not A Crime
Polling is not a crime. Designed and Printed by Union Labor at RAYGUN. Cut & sewn sweatshop free. A Portion of All RAYGUN Sales Raise Money For Organizations That We Support. Charcoal T-shirt (50%...
www.raygunsite.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Attention pollsters, election nerds, and associated #MitofSKY folks: in honor of Ann Selzer's victory, @raygunsite.com has produced a run of "Polling is not a Crime" shirts.
Order yours today!
Order yours today!
Reposted by Dan Bowen
A short #election 🧵- Democrats had historic victories across the nation; in Virginia they dominated. The outcomes are a strong repudiation of Trump who is a polarizing & unpopular figure in the face of high inflation, democratic erosion & a government shutdown voters largely blame on Republicans 1/
November 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM
A short #election 🧵- Democrats had historic victories across the nation; in Virginia they dominated. The outcomes are a strong repudiation of Trump who is a polarizing & unpopular figure in the face of high inflation, democratic erosion & a government shutdown voters largely blame on Republicans 1/
Hey, if Mr. Grand Nagus is out there going door-to-door, you can show up to vote on Tuesday.
On the other site, an 18-year-old Zohran canvasser described the legendary Wallace Shawn as "the actor who plays Dr. Sturgis on Young Sheldon" which is honestly adorable
November 2, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Hey, if Mr. Grand Nagus is out there going door-to-door, you can show up to vote on Tuesday.
Reposted by Dan Bowen
New Jersey early vote update as of Friday, with a same-day comparison to 2024 open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
November 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM
New Jersey early vote update as of Friday, with a same-day comparison to 2024 open.substack.com/pub/michaelm...
Reposted by Dan Bowen
It’s Halloween post your Worfs in jeans
October 31, 2024 at 4:46 PM
It’s Halloween post your Worfs in jeans
Reposted by Dan Bowen
1000%. But more specifically, what the founders didn't anticipate that leads these other folks to sublimate their own authority in deference to Trump, is partisanship.
The Founders anticipated the possibility of a corrupt, venal, lawbreaking, wannabe monarch president.
What they did not expect is numerous people achieving prominent national office and not wanting to guard their own power. The combo of ego to run but pathetic absence of ego in office stands out.
What they did not expect is numerous people achieving prominent national office and not wanting to guard their own power. The combo of ego to run but pathetic absence of ego in office stands out.
October 25, 2025 at 4:45 PM
1000%. But more specifically, what the founders didn't anticipate that leads these other folks to sublimate their own authority in deference to Trump, is partisanship.
One county in NJ will be "monitored": Passaic County.
Passaic has the highest percentage of Latino/a residents in NJ and has a huge foreign-born population more generally (Paterson is the county seat). Press release provides no rationale beyond "transparency" and election integrity.
Passaic has the highest percentage of Latino/a residents in NJ and has a huge foreign-born population more generally (Paterson is the county seat). Press release provides no rationale beyond "transparency" and election integrity.
Breaking: The Department of Justice announced it will "monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions [in New Jersey and California] ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law." www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justi...
Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New Jersey
WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Justice announced that it will monitor polling sites in six jurisdictions ahead of the upcoming November 4, 2025, general election to ensure transparency, ballot ...
www.justice.gov
October 24, 2025 at 7:55 PM
One county in NJ will be "monitored": Passaic County.
Passaic has the highest percentage of Latino/a residents in NJ and has a huge foreign-born population more generally (Paterson is the county seat). Press release provides no rationale beyond "transparency" and election integrity.
Passaic has the highest percentage of Latino/a residents in NJ and has a huge foreign-born population more generally (Paterson is the county seat). Press release provides no rationale beyond "transparency" and election integrity.