Justin de Benedictis-Kessner

Associate Professor @Harvard @Kennedy_School. Urban and local politics + policy; cyclist; 🏳️‍🌈; he/him. RTs ≠ endorsements

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@sahnicboom This is why I usually have the map with Phoenix (and Jacksonville and Fresno) highlighted on slide ~5! Academic Phoenix blindness is real.

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@zacharylhertz Dunkin iced in the snow? Very New Englander behavior, I approve 👏🏻

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@sahnicboom From Ben Feingold's dissertation version! https://t.co/0NXaNEGQY1

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Join us here at LPEC @CenterforCities in September!

[Alexander Sahn @sahnicboom]

apply to present at the apsa local political economy pre-conference! 4/30 deadline.

see last year’s program to get an idea of whether your work would be a good fit. there is a poster session this year to allow even more presenters.

https://t.co/zjo62Ul71a

[Nate Erskine-Smith @NateForOntario]

Yesterday was a fulfilling day representing Canada in Boston! 🇨🇦

Here’s a moment from a thoughtful and productive conversation on housing policy with students at Harvard University, moderated by Justin de Benedictis-Kessner, at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@BostonPWD @CityOfBoston Hey @BostonPWD @MayorWu: these photos are lovely and I'm glad to see this finally happen. But crews seemed to have stopped clearing any bike lanes outside the 1-block radius around these photo locations. Mass Ave is *impassable* at several locations north of Westland Ave!

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

As he says: “learning isn’t just getting answers to questions.” Worth a listen for anyone who teaches, is learning (anything), or cares about the quality of education in the age of AI!

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

My friend and colleague @Kennedy_School @tedsvo shared his expert perspective on the use of AI in education on @NPR’s All Things Considered today: https://t.co/hAB2VU2WNL

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

This partisan finger-pointing is based on falsehoods. To fix crime, we should focus on evidence-based strategies to address crime, rather than engaging in a distracting blame-game. https://t.co/O7mbGlY4a1

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Yet again, Trump is falsely claiming that Democrat-controlled cities like DC are letting crime get out of control. Our research – from cities across the US – shows that this just isn't true (@cwarshaw @Matthew00117310)

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

President Trump once again catapulted crime in D.C. into the national conversation.

“It has become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the World,” he said in a Truth Social post.

Local and federal data, though, paint a contrasting picture: https://t.co/e6s2WGG96s

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Our open-access research in @ScienceAdvances shows that the partisanship of mayors has no causal effect on crime rates. Nor does it affect police spending, staffing, or arrest rates. https://t.co/hXqfLqAA44

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Are Democratic leaders making cities more dangerous than Republicans? Trump + others have repeatedly made claims like this. New paper @ScienceAdvances w/ @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 shows that, in short, the answer is no.

[Eugen Dimant @eugen_dimant]

🔥🧯 Excited to announce the program of our 2025 MIT workshop on polarization, norms & trust (co-organized w/ @DG_Rand, @ylelkes @AdamBerinsky @kati_kish)!

Speakers incl. @BrendanNyhan @jdbk @dhopkins1776 et al.

Info: https://t.co/9DPMsDkqDL

To attend: https://t.co/Dd7K3tWKoF

[APSA Urban Politics @apsaurban]

📢 It’s time to nominate for the 2025 Urban & Local Politics Section Awards!

We’re recognizing outstanding work in urban politics across multiple categories, including best dissertation, book, and career contributions.

🏆 Deadline: March 15, 2025

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Well said, from @ProfDavidDeming: "If government funding goes away, so will much of the research. The long-run cost will be staggering. We’ll have fewer medical breakthroughs, the progress of lifesaving medical treatments will stall, and America may fall behind"

[The Atlantic @TheAtlantic]

The Trump administration’s cuts to university research grants will make America sicker and poorer in the long run, @ProfDavidDeming writes. DOGE should stop "confusing efficiency with ill-conceived budget cuts." https://t.co/ZfDGWPd7wB

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@SocDoneLeft @ScienceAdvances @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 @Kennedy_School @GWtweets @PittTweet Happy to chat more about that specific thing! We mostly focused on the major parties in identifying partisanship, as you picked up.

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

Are Democratic leaders making cities more dangerous than Republicans? Trump + others have repeatedly made claims like this. New paper @ScienceAdvances w/ @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 shows that, in short, the answer is no.

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@SocDoneLeft @ScienceAdvances @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 @Kennedy_School @GWtweets @PittTweet Glad you find it interesting! This is using the American local government elections database that Chris + I created with a couple others. Details here: https://t.co/9WtaFR5Ixj

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@JaeJaeykim2 @ScienceAdvances @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 @Kennedy_School @GWtweets @PittTweet Thanks Jae!

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@lauraroyden Thanks Laura!

[Justin de Benedictis-Kessner @jdbk]

@mattkahn1966 @ScienceAdvances @cwarshaw @daniel_b_jones @Matthew00117310 @Kennedy_School @GWtweets @PittTweet Glad you found! Yes that is the hope :)