Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · 18h

Word.

Pavithra Suryanarayan @pavisuri.bsky.social · 1d

More than a decade of effort went into this magnificent dataset. What an incredible public good. People need to know how hard it is to do rigorous empirical work in political science.

Francesca R. Jensenius @fr-jensenius.bsky.social · 1d

Very happy to be able to share the polling-level dataset on Indian Parliamentary Elections 2009, 2014, 2019 that we have been working on for more than a decade. Both the data and the data descriptor are open access: rdcu.be/eujHH

@statsvitenskap.bsky.social @unioslo-svfak.bsky.social

Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · 7d

When Institutions Work: Why Nicolas Sarkozy's Conviction Is Remarkable

It is a rare instance of assertion of the rule of law and of the principle of equality before the law. thewire.in/world/when-i...

When Institutions Work: Why Nicolas Sarkozy's Conviction Is Remarkable

It is a rare instance of assertion of the rule of law and of the principle of equality before the law.

thewire.in

Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · 7d

My piece on the role of caste in Bihar politics.

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Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · 13d

...there is a fundamental difference between curbing caste and concealing caste. ...Making caste invisible does not make it disappear. ...Dominance continues quietly, while democratic expression loses one of its tools. My piece on the caste display ban in UP m.economictimes.com/opinion/et-c...

Never mind intent, banning caste display doesn’t diminish but reinforces invisible ways caste works - The Economic Times

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a ban on caste-based displays. This includes police records and public signs. The move follows a court order and aims to end caste discrimination. Supporters s...

m.economictimes.com

Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · Sep 8

Deeply saddened that Sankarshan Thakur has passed away. A fiercely independent man, friend to young and seasoned journalists and always generous and patient with scholars. A loss for his beloved home state of Bihar, to journalism, and to all of us.

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Jean, em dash enthusiast @jburkespraker.bsky.social · Aug 31

My advisor at Clemson was a Chicago history PhD, and I spent a summer working on my Latin at Chicago while I was at Brown.

This is truly awful.

But the Dalek references are top notch. 🤖

Daisy Rockwell @shreedaisy.bsky.social · Aug 30

My op-ed in the @chicagomaroon.bsky.social on the University of Chicago’s appalling plans to gut the humanities and possibly eliminate the South Asian studies department chicagomaroon.com/48353/viewpo...

Lost in Extraterrestrial Translation

The University celebrates the success of area studies alumni, all the while erasing the programs that made those careers possible.

chicagomaroon.com

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Reposted by Gilles Verniers

Frédéric Mérand @fredericmerand.bsky.social · Jun 4

Un des meilleurs spécialistes de l’Inde contemporaine, @gillesverniers.bsky.social, a passé le printemps à enseigner cette matière à 40 étudiants de @sciencepo-udem.bsky.social. Quelle chance!

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Reposted by Gilles Verniers

Patrick Heller @pheller.bsky.social · Apr 11

Looking for a good summer reading list? Read the Naval Academy’s list of removed books www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Read the Naval Academy’s list of removed books

The Navy released the titles of 381 books that were removed from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Nimitz Library on the Annapolis, Md., campus this week because their subject matter was seen as being related ...

www.nytimes.com

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Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · Mar 17

For those who thought that only social scientists and humanities scholars would be affected. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/16/u...

Brown University Professor and Doctor Is Deported to Lebanon Despite a Judge’s Order

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist and Brown University professor who had a valid visa, was expelled in apparent defiance of a court order.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Gilles Verniers

Senator Bernie Sanders @sanders.senate.gov · Mar 12

No, Mr. President, you cannot illegally arrest and detain legal US residents because of their political views or opinions.

In America, we have a little something called the First Amendment.

Throwing protesters in jail is yet another step on the path to authoritarianism.

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Sarah Kendzior @sarahkendzior.bsky.social · Mar 5

National parks were the main places I wanted my kids to see, and I wrote about them in THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP. Breaks my heart that the book is coming out as Trump tries to make good on his plans to destroy them. I hope my book helps the effort to fight back. www.thelastamericanroadtrip.com

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Cas Ⓜ️udde @casmudde.bsky.social · Mar 10

Vague enough for deniability,but general enough to terrorize.

Obviously there is a hierarchy of victims, but don't assume you are safe because you are white, pro-Israel, U.S. citizen, whatever. This is not about terrorism, anti-semitism or "anti-Americanism". This is about total control!

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Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · Mar 1

One day, we'll look back on this as just Step 1 of removing women from any position of public authority.

No one is making a fuss, because it's just women, so Step 2 will be easier.

The broligarchs have already stated repeatedly that they regard women's right to vote in America as a "mistake."

Brooke @brooklynmarie.bsky.social · Mar 1

No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, last week without any clear explanation -- part of a purge of top uniformed leadership that included the Joint...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Gilles Verniers

Rachel Donadio @racheldonadio.bsky.social · Feb 23

This Zadie Smith essay is so incredibly good

www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

The Dream of the Raised Arm | Zadie Smith

It’s no wonder those who lived under the Third Reich suffered ceaseless nightmares. What of our dreams today, under the totalitarianism of the online algorithm?

www.nybooks.com

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Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · Feb 20

Amherst at dusk

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Gilles Verniers @gillesverniers.bsky.social · Feb 18

"Over the years, I watched some batshit events. This one was right up there. Men and women fighting imaginary battles against an establishment of which they are part. Fighting diversity, inclusion, equality. Anyone who looks and thinks differently to them".

Nigel Farage, Jordan Peterson & co worship each other in alt-right heaven | John Crace

Welcome to the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference, a fatuous echo chamber of self-congratulation

www.theguardian.com

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Tom Pepinsky @tompepinsky.com · Feb 17

The relevant political cleavage is not policy, it is constitutional order. We can fight bitterly over every policy once we agree that the rules must endure in order to protect the republic