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Steven S. Smith

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Steven S. Smith is Professor of Political Science at Arizona State University. He also is the Kate M. Gregg Emeritus… more

H-index: 30
Political science 62%
Business 12%
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
A reasonable prediction: The Trump team's manic commitment to preaching about the coming economic Nirvana prevents them and Repubs from coming to grips the recession (and tech bust) they are bound to create. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Why Aren’t We Partying Like It’s 1999?
Fear, not hope, permeates today’s technology hype
substack.com
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by Steven S. Smith — Reposted by: Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
We can count on @tombedsall.bsky.social to sum it up. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...
Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.
www.nytimes.com
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by Steven S. Smith — Reposted by: David R. Miller

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Speaker Johnson fails to explain why his House failed to act on 9 of 12 appropriations bills by the Oct 1 start of the new fiscal year. He fails to explain why the House has not acted already on the healthcare tax credits. Everything else is distraction. It is his failure to get House Repubs to act.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
The commitment to democracy started with the president, who served as a model for his White House.
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Anna O. Law

billkristolbulwark.bsky.social
The Trump administration’s deployment of ICE and others in the mass deportation effort has led to more violence and turmoil, and less safety and security for all, including US citizens. But that’s a feature not a bug. The chaos justifies further authoritarian crackdowns. The chaos is the point.
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Stephen M. Walt, Kim L. Scheppele , and 24 more

fishkin.bsky.social
I thought I'd put the administration's proposed "compact" with universities in context, so I wrote the blog post below.

It's especially for journalists covering this story!

Many details about how the compact itself works and why the administration has retreated to this strategy.
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
12 260 540

by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
No jamming here. A confession that extending the shutdown for 10 days is inevitable so House Repubs might as well go home. The bet is that the tide of public opinion will turn against the Dems eventually. Trump's behavior is surely going to make that a bad bet.
jamiedupree.bsky.social
Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 4d
This GOP move does several things:
+ No votes in the House until at least October 14
+ No swearing-in for Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva D-AZ
+ No 218th signature from Grijalva on the Epstein Files discharge petition
+ Continues the House 'jam' of the Senate on the CR
jamiedupree.bsky.social
Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 4d
🚨🚨The House reading clerk just read a letter from House Speaker Mike Johnson where he declares a 'District Work Period' from October 7 to October 13.

That would mean no votes in the House until mid-month.
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Rosemary A. Joyce, Daniel W. Drezner , and 1 more

jamiedupree.bsky.social
This GOP move does several things:
+ No votes in the House until at least October 14
+ No swearing-in for Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva D-AZ
+ No 218th signature from Grijalva on the Epstein Files discharge petition
+ Continues the House 'jam' of the Senate on the CR
jamiedupree.bsky.social
Jamie Dupree @jamiedupree.bsky.social · 4d
🚨🚨The House reading clerk just read a letter from House Speaker Mike Johnson where he declares a 'District Work Period' from October 7 to October 13.

That would mean no votes in the House until mid-month.
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Rosemary A. Joyce, John Kenneth White

jamiedupree.bsky.social
🚨🚨The House reading clerk just read a letter from House Speaker Mike Johnson where he declares a 'District Work Period' from October 7 to October 13.

That would mean no votes in the House until mid-month.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
The 9 were given until Nov 21 to respond. I hope they join together to refuse to sign on. In the meantime, let's hope the AAU and other president groups, with unanimous backing, oppose the compact.

by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
So....what are university presidents doing in response to the compact "offer" to 9 universities? Info please.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
”…the future of higher education in America requires that every university reject it. If any schools capitulate, the pressure will be enormous on all to fold. The only solution is solidarity and collective action against this effort at federal control over higher education.”
barbmcquade.bsky.social
Barb McQuade @barbmcquade.bsky.social · 4d
Trump’s university “compact” is extortion.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion (Gift Article)
There seems to be no limit to the president’s odious attempts to control higher education.
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith

joshchafetz.bsky.social
If you've published a book, you should check to see if it was used by Anthropic and, if so, file a claim for your piece of the class-action settlement! www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
ANT Homepage | ANT
www.anthropiccopyrightsettlement.com
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Benjamin Mason Meier

barbmcquade.bsky.social
Trump’s university “compact” is extortion.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion (Gift Article)
There seems to be no limit to the president’s odious attempts to control higher education.
www.nytimes.com
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Agreed on Vought. But don't underestimate the importance of political cover & rationalization. Politicians so need to explain themselves, even if it entails lies & deception. The media, unfortunately, feels obligated to tell us what politicians tell them. Correctives are there but lost in the noise.

by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Who will be the first to sign the Trump compact? Will Vandy’s chancellor call for creation of TAU, the Trump Association of Universities?

Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Anders Sundnes Løvlie

drewharwell.com
I tested Sora's AI video "guardrails" and I'm honestly shocked how much OpenAI allows. Really, really bad

www.tiktok.com/@drewharwell
www.instagram.com/bydrewharwell/
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith

monaburns.bsky.social
Dem Senator Tim Kaine after the bipartisan gaggle on the Senate floor yesterday:
“There are Republicans telling us, ‘We agree with you. For our own interest, we have to fix this,’”
So ..
Thune wants Dems to acquiesce
As MAGA Repubs appear to be softening on extending ACA credits
Helluva standoff
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
In the blame game, context matters. No one believes the Republicans want a fully functioning government. Trump reinforces the “kill agencies, fire the bastards“ theme every day.
4

Reposted by: Steven S. Smith

pkcapitol.bsky.social
Don’t expect the shutdown to end soon with Dems caving. Not with polls like our WaPo version showing the public blames Trump and Rs for this by 17 points.
17!
(Caveat: let’s see over next couple days what other polls show.)

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We asked 1,000 Americans who is to blame for the shutdown. Here’s what they said.
More Americans blame Trump and Republicans than Democrats for shutdown, poll finds.
www.washingtonpost.com
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Off hand, don't know.
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Mary Jane Curry, Raúl Pacheco-Vega

jamieson.bsky.social
Wild stuff. Furloughed employees within HHS got an email this morning telling them to set an out-of-office reply blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

"I take that email as coercing subordinates to engage in political activity," one worker told me.

www.huffpost.com/entry/out-of...
Trump Admin Tells Federal Employees To Set OOO Message Blaming Democrats For Shutdown
One health department employee said the directions seemed to be "coercing" subordinates into political activity.
www.huffpost.com
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith, Jonathan M. Gilligan, David R. Miller , and 1 more

jordanonrecord.bsky.social
It's like a Choose Your Own Hatch Act Violation.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Repubs may eventually nuke supermajority cloture on CRs or even on all appropriations bills. For now, they seem to like shutdown politics. That may not be true in 45 days.
washingtonmonthly.com
Washington Monthly @washingtonmonthly.com · 6d
Republicans Can End the Government Shutdown Today

If Republicans don’t want a bipartisan deal, they can kill the filibuster. So why aren’t they? –– @billscher.bsky.social

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/01/s...
Republicans Can End the Government Shutdown Today
Republicans can kill the filibuster and end the government shutdown without any Democrats. But will they do it?
washingtonmonthly.com
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Reposted by: Steven S. Smith

washingtonmonthly.com
Republicans Can End the Government Shutdown Today

If Republicans don’t want a bipartisan deal, they can kill the filibuster. So why aren’t they? –– @billscher.bsky.social

washingtonmonthly.com/2025/10/01/s...
Republicans Can End the Government Shutdown Today
Republicans can kill the filibuster and end the government shutdown without any Democrats. But will they do it?
washingtonmonthly.com
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
This is incomprehensible, or at best dizzying, for the general public and severely undermines accountability. Fixable? Sure. Going to happen in the foreseeable future? No.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Dems already knew it takes a supermajority to create a health program, but they now have experienced how that program can be gutted by a simple majority in a reconciliation bill.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
There are again glimmers of awareness of the sorry state of Senate procedure by talking heads. It registered with Dems this summer that appropriations passed only with a supermajority can be rescinded by a simple majority.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
I'm wondering about the record of back problems for Senate floor stenographers. Two of them standing stoically at this moment.
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by Steven S. Smith

profstevensmith.bsky.social
Now that would be nice.
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