Joe Postell

Politics Professor, Author, "Bureaucracy in America." Next book on Congress and Parties. Husband, Dad, Hiker, Boardgamer. Native Ohioan.

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

Civics ed is a hot topic these days but most people seem to think it's the university's job to do it. I just published an (open access) article arguing that political parties have historically been the greatest schools of civic ed in America. Check it out! https://t.co/l5lAgZQDrw

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

Getting pretty close to 270 at this point, potentially even by 2028

[Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 @PollTracker2024]

NPR: Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger signed a bill Monday that adds the state to the National Popular Vote Compact, an agreement among states to award their presidential electoral votes to the nationwide popular vote winner.

Link to article: https://t.co/3x2WZs6Xpq

[John Pinheiro @DrJohnPinheiro]

Call for Papers by @ActonInstitute

The Spirit of ‘76: Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and the American Founding

This conference will investigate commonalities between Smith’s moral & economic thought and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

More information⬇️

[Richard Reinsch @Reinsch84]

As we continue celebrating the United States’ semiquincentennial, I am proud to announce the launch of the Civitas Collection 250 by @UT_Civitas . 1/4

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

This was a fun conversation with some good historical background on the filibuster, in light of recent controversies -- thanks to @Reinsch84 for the chat!

[Civitas Outlook @CivitasOutlook]

Civitas Outlook editor-in-chief @Reinsch84 is joined by @JoePostell in a discussion on the future of the filibuster. Listen to the new episode of “Civitas Conversations” here: https://t.co/m0uk6RTndK

[Civitas Outlook @CivitasOutlook]

“The history of congressional reform is the history of unintended consequences,” @JoePostell argues. Read the full essay on Civitas Outlook. https://t.co/E9TU3gK2qu

[Richard Reinsch @Reinsch84]

"Perhaps it would be ultimately a healthy thing for our republic if the Senate returned to a more open process, but those who favor it for policy reasons should be aware of the likely side effects their medicine may induce." @JoePostell

https://t.co/F7cS7KUmGX

[Analytic Valley Girl Chris @ChrisExpTheNews]

I was using ChatGPT for legal advice and it decided to completely hallucinate some preposterous nonsense about how growing wheat to use on my own farm somehow constitutes interstate commerce

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@ConservaMuse #52 is directly on point ("open to merit of every description, whether native or adoptive...")

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

I've gone through this same process -- I'll end up writing something on the case (I read the whole thing, that can't be for nothing!), but it's more difficult than it appears at first glance. The broader MQD/nondelegation implications are more important than the case itself.

[Leroy the Elk @LeroyTheElk]

Over the past few days: I tried to write up an explanation of why I thought it was correctly decided. Part of the way through, I changed my mind and started writing up why it was wrongly decided. Then I changed my mind again. Then again. Then again.

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@McGillPatterson He's putting words in your mouth. You didn't say those cases were examples of "using political power." You cited them to disprove his claim that the left is allowed to use political power but the right isn't. If his claim were true those cases (& others) can't be explained.

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@conncarroll I have a forthcoming law review article on this very point, but in the meantime, I wrote about this for @CivitasOutlook: https://t.co/rPypS1O1lS

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@MTMehan @DrJayRichards I waded through all 170 pages of the opinion on Friday afternoon. The original tweet exaggerates what Gorsuch said about Kav/Thom's views. He engages much more with the substance of their opinions. I disagree with the Kav/Thom position but it was stronger than I expected.

[I'm not mad I actually think it's funny @herr_naphta]

Going for kind of a niche audience here.

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@PaulRDeHart There has been some really interesting work done on the decisions in 1842 and 1967 to mandate single-member districts, but I think there's still a lot more to say on those decisions. Totally agree on how Madison's #10 bears on factions and parties, though its implicit in #10

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

As usual, Cheese is absolutely correct. See https://t.co/fXuEevVGeM

[Cheese For Everyone! @CheeseForEvery1]

“The Constitution says nothing about parties” is one of those things that is true and also meaningless. As E.E. Schattschneider said, “Modern democracy is unthinkable save in terms of the parties.” Yes, the Founders warned of “factions.” Parties are but one type of them. 1/

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

Sometimes partisanship and ideology diverge

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@AviWoolf @nobodyknows2322 Taft is also the man who wrote the opinion in Myers v. US (a decade after this quote), holding that the President has authority to fire even a first class postmaster. Taft wanted to curtail some of the abuses of parties and patronage but he was hardly in favor of bureaucracy.

[Civitas Outlook @CivitasOutlook]

Rusty Reno, ed. of @firstthingsmag, calls for a Woodrow Wilson of our time to tame the excesses of liberalism.

@JoePostell responds

https://t.co/4Z05m3je0D

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

My latest in @CivitasOutlook: it is a myth that the Founders' liberalism means strict laissez-faire. Liberalism allows for regulation that promotes the common good. There is no need to turn to and take on the baggage of Woodrow Wilson in order to have reasonable regulation.

[Civitas Outlook @CivitasOutlook]

"Like many criticisms of liberalism on the right, Reno’s version of liberalism is a strawman. According to Reno, liberalism is a libertarian political system founded on laissez-faire. This does not match the actual history of American law and regulation, but drawing that caricature allows Reno to assert that we need a figure like Woodrow Wilson to correct liberalism’s excesses."

https://t.co/Iam3c4Nk2y

[Joe Postell @JoePostell]

@_CharlesCorrell I doubt Kinzinger could even name more than a third of the Speakers who have served in American history, much less claim any single Speaker is the most unsuccessful