Jenna Bednar
Umich prof, polisci & public policy, Director of UMICH Votes &
Democratic Engagement, & Santa Fe Institute. Institutions, federalism, robustness, sustainability. New work on democratic norms, coming soon.
- "Regimes that rely on repression face a challenge: The more force they deploy, the more they risk exposing their own brutality to politically persuadable observers. Overreach doesn’t just project strength; it also undermines legitimacy." @owasow.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2026/01/28/o...
- Reposted by Jenna BednarIf you need some hope today — and don’t we all? — read @adambonica.bsky.social . As a bonus, you’ll also find an agenda and a source of resolve to make it happen. open.substack.com/pub/data4dem...
- Reposted by Jenna BednarHere is a poem Renee Good, under her earlier name Renee Macklin, wrote, "On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs." It won a prize. It's really good. "it’s the ruler by which i reduce all things now; hard-edged & splintering from knowledge." poets.org/2020-on-lear...
- Reposted by Jenna BednarApplications open for SFI’s 2026 UCR program. Are you fascinated by transdisciplinary questions that transcend or combine disciplines? UCR is a fully funded, 10-week summer research experience for undergraduates curious about complexity science. Apply by Jan 14, 2026 santafe.edu/ucr
- From interim President Mahoney's letter: "We seek no special treatment.... the integrity of science ... depends on merit-based assessment." Yay UVa.
- Reposted by Jenna BednarMy department is hiring an assistant professor of environmental behavioral sciences. The research area is open but we are particularly interested in people with research on collective action or computational social sciences. Happy to answer questions about the Doerr School or the department.
- Reposted by Jenna BednarIf you think the attack on the Fed's Lisa Cook has nothing to do with you, you're wrong — any one of us may be next paulkrugman.substack.com/p/we-are-all...
- ⭐ Book rec to understand Trump's Epstein August: www.harpercollins.com/products/the.... There's no better guide to the evangelicals’ embrace of Trump. This is no outsider’s ethnography; he is a pastor’s son trying to understand how the church he loves has chosen earthly power over the Gospel.
- Alberta is a brilliant writer and unassuming, curious, persistent interviewer. The gang's all here, from Jerry Falwell Sr & Jr, Robert Jeffress, Charlie Kirk, Ralph Reid; a wide range of hucksters; and decent people who don't know what to do. The interviews he gets are wild. www.bytimalberta.com
- Tho the book came out in 2023, Alberta's writing offers clues about Trump's Epstein August. Many believe that Trump was born again as president, and so it is possible to forgive past sins. But freeing Ghislaine Maxwell, delaying, and blaming Democrats makes him look guilty and unrepentant.
- We are lucky that Alberta will be a Fellow this year at Michigan, the inaugural joint fellowship with ISR and the Wallace House Center for Journalists, for journalists who want to build their analytical skills. isr.umich.edu/news-events/...
- Reposted by Jenna BednarThe launch of an important new public resource. The Anti-Corruption Tracker: Mapping the Erosion of Oversight and Accountability www.justsecurity.org/117267/anti-... The Tracker is a living document that will be continually updated. A screenshot below gives you a sense of the Chart and its data.
- "Fear is the tool of a tyrant."
- Cutting the CPB devastates rural public radio. On a recent roadtrip w @scottepage.bsky.social we listened only to public radio. It was incredibly...local: hog sales, new biz, swaps, & in western KS, a book club of Verghese's Covenant of Water. We lose more than emergency alerts. We lose community.
- Reposted by Jenna BednarSpecial Issue Captures Vibrant Moment in #ComplexityEconomics Editorial team: @jennabednar.bsky.social @sfiscience.bsky.social @maria-drc.bsky.social @doynefarmer.bsky.social @francoislafond.bsky.social +J.Kaszowska-Mojsa, P.Mealy, M.Pangallo & A.Pichler #EconSky www.inet.ox.ac.uk/news/vibrant...
- Over 1K rejected kings in Brighton, MI, a red town of 8k in the midst of a deep red county. The vibe: highly patriotic, pro people power, pro freedom. A rousing collective pledge of allegiance. Pro constitution signs on fishing poles and marshmallow sticks.
- Missed the alt texts, sorry! Photos of handmade signs reading Save Our Libraries, Make America Think Again, I Love Amy Country Stop Ruining It, and Land of the Free (taped to a kid’s fishing pole!)
- I love *my country. (And I do!)
- Reposted by Jenna BednarMelissa Hortman, who was assassinated last night, was the Speaker of the Minnesota House in the 2023-2024 session, when Democrats ran the state government. That means she had a leading role in shepherding the many landmark reforms that Dems adopted in that period—an important legacy. Brief 🧵.
- Can federalism hold? Here's a decent review of recent federalization of national guard troops. Last time done over a gov's wishes was 60 years ago, to protect protesters. BTW the president's order can include all states, not just CA. Where are the R governors? D govs? Pritzker? wapo.st/3ZXocaZ
- Reposted by Jenna Bednarthis @adambonica.bsky.social piece deserves to be read beside the yeoman work that @donmoyn.bsky.social and @pamherd.bsky.social have been doing. The dismantling of administrative expertise is one of those stories that is so big that pro journalists with beats find it hard to focus on or explain .
- DeVos family creates a 501c4, headed by Ronna McDaniel, to promote R candidates in Michigan. Open seats in 2026 for gov, AG, SOS, and US Senate.
- On the flight to Amsterdam a rowdy group of septuagenarian women from New Orleans kept saying 86 this trash, 86 this movie, 86 this wine, it’s terrible. It’s true, they killed me.
- Reposted by Jenna BednarA lot has changed in the world, so my colleagues and I at the @fordschool are opening up a special emergency admissions cycle for folks who want to start a Masters of Public Policy this fall. Deets are here: fordschool.umich.edu/masters-prog... I hope to see you in class in September!
- Reposted by Jenna BednarIs it just me, or is <checks notes> military.com significantly more clear-eyed about this than most news sources? www.military.com/daily-news/2...
- Reposted by Jenna BednarHAPPENING NOW: Following the Supreme Court's decision requiring the government to "facilitate" the release of Abrego Garcia, a hearing before Judge Paula Xinis is about to begin. I'm in Greenbelt, Maryland for @lawfare.bsky.social Follow along for updates
- Consumer confidence is in free fall, across all segments of the population. www.sca.isr.umich.edu/files/featur...
- Todays umich report here: www.sca.isr.umich.edu
- Reposted by Jenna BednarOh man *UMICH PRELIM APRIL CONSUMER SENTIMENT FALLS TO 50.8; EST 53.8 *MICHIGAN 5-10 YR INFLATION EXPECTATIONS RISE TO 4.4% VS 4.1% *UMICH YR-AHEAD EXPECTED INFLATION AT 6.7%, HIGHEST SINCE 1981
- Problem solving by cognitively diverse teams is such a dangerous idea that the Navy has pulled @scottepage.bsky.social ‘s book The Difference from their shelves. press.princeton.edu/books/paperb...
- The book ban comes in the same month that Princeton University Press added The Difference to their list of “classics”—their most influential books—LOL press.princeton.edu/collections/...
- I’m looking forward to checking out the full list of dangerous ideas here! media.defense.gov/2025/Apr/04/...
- And here is what Scottie had to say about it, with a nod to my dad and brother, both proud naval men.
- Reposted by Jenna BednarA coalition of 21 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the federal agency charged with supporting the nation’s libraries.
- Tune in now to catch Cory Booker finish his filibuster. He is speaking lovingly of John Lewis now. The past hour has been on the rule of law, the spirit of liberty, and asking: is the Constitution in your heart? He reminds us that our country is worth loving, and it’s because of our Constitution.
- My heart is full, Senator Booker. I ❤️ our Constitution. 🇺🇸
- Reposted by Jenna BednarElbows up, Canada!
- "Democracy dies in darkness, so we're shining our spotlight on free markets."
- Over 400 showed up in the midst of a snowstorm last night to learn about executive orders, the rule of law, and democratic norms. They stayed for 3 1/2 hours. Go Blue! Go Team Democracy!
Teach-in on the condition of our government about to begin at the University of Michigan @umich @umichlaw #RuleOfLaw #GoBlue
