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Zack Albert

@zalbert

Polisci prof. @ Brandeis U. Research on parties and polarization and elections. Glad there’s finally hockey here. Go Leafs Go!

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Latest posts by Zack Albert @zalbert

Looks like you can add “multiple journalists arrested” to this awful list

30.01.2026 16:01 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 1
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Partisan Policy Networks – Penn Press How elected officials, think tanks, and interest groups form partisan policy networks to advance their agendasPartisan Policy Networks explores how policy re...

I hope you'll check out the full piece, and if you're interested to you can read more about the book here:

www.pennpress.org/978151282802...

06.11.2025 20:57 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
While the historical view of policy research as “above politics” was never fully accurate, what we have today is profoundly different. Partisanship increasingly structures the production and dissemination of information. Research organizations are active participants in partisan battles. And stable partisan networks, built on direct collaborations and partisan reputations, structure most modern policymaking.

These developments pose significant problems for American democracy. Partisan policy networks displace sound research in favor of partisan-motivated ideas, undermining responsible policymaking. They also move policy toward their own, often ideologically extreme preferences, biasing representation. And they prohibit dialogue and compromise between the two parties. In a system that often requires bipartisanship, partisan dynamics produce gridlock and incentivize unilateral presidential action.

While the historical view of policy research as “above politics” was never fully accurate, what we have today is profoundly different. Partisanship increasingly structures the production and dissemination of information. Research organizations are active participants in partisan battles. And stable partisan networks, built on direct collaborations and partisan reputations, structure most modern policymaking. These developments pose significant problems for American democracy. Partisan policy networks displace sound research in favor of partisan-motivated ideas, undermining responsible policymaking. They also move policy toward their own, often ideologically extreme preferences, biasing representation. And they prohibit dialogue and compromise between the two parties. In a system that often requires bipartisanship, partisan dynamics produce gridlock and incentivize unilateral presidential action.

This poses problems for polarization, representation, and governance. Through their subsidies, ideologically and narrowly motivated PROs (re)enforce polarized views, move policy toward their own ends, and prevent cross-party dialogue and compromise.

06.11.2025 20:57 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
In a Nutshell: This book examines how many policy research organizations, like think tanks, have transformed from non-partisan information producers into partisan allies pursuing ideological policy goals. Most policymaking today is structured by “partisan policy networks” united by shared goals and mutual trust – and producing policy that is often poorly informed and unrepresentative of what the mass public wants.

In a Nutshell: This book examines how many policy research organizations, like think tanks, have transformed from non-partisan information producers into partisan allies pursuing ideological policy goals. Most policymaking today is structured by “partisan policy networks” united by shared goals and mutual trust – and producing policy that is often poorly informed and unrepresentative of what the mass public wants.

First, the main takeaway: many policy research organizations (PROs) today are partisan policy demanders who subsidize the policymaking efforts of their partisan allies, not only thru their research but also direct political advocacy. See, for example, Heritage and CAP.

06.11.2025 20:57 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
RORO

Really glad to get to publish this overview of my new book (Partisan Policy Networks) with Roro Toko. Including some excerpts below.

www.rorotoko.com/11/20251106-...

06.11.2025 20:57 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Bold strategy to tell everyone to pay attention to the rallies specifically designed to draw attention to your party’s unpopular abuses of power.

17.10.2025 15:22 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Probably not exactly what you’re after, but on voteview you can search by member name and see which ideological bin they fall into relative to party/chamber. My students had fun with it yesterday.

13.09.2025 13:43 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
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Really cool feeling to open a box of your own book! For sale starting august 26.

www.pennpress.org/978151282802...

18.08.2025 17:47 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I’m just a simple guy begging Google Docs to not log me out when I’m in the middle of typing a sentence

24.07.2025 16:40 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Congrats! Well-deserved

18.07.2025 19:02 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Are small donors the solution to democracy’s problems? | Brookings Campaign finance regimes that increase the number of small donors may not be a solution to America's democracy woes.

With @raylaraja.bsky.social: Are small donors the solution to democracy’s problems? www.brookings.edu/articles/are...

08.07.2025 15:08 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 1

Could easily replace “academics” with “partisans” and explain a lot about politics

04.06.2025 17:54 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Worth noting this is due mostly to people thinking he isn’t serious or disciplined enough to stick to one of his most sincere, central policy goals. Which is one of the many reasons these tariffs will only have negative effects

27.05.2025 15:02 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Very cool stuff! I find similar results when I look at more traditional forms of engagement (think tank hiring and event participant patterns) in my book. Love the idea of podcasts as data. Looking forward to seeing more!

19.05.2025 16:30 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Really cool stuff. Love when there’s a paper to cite for something I’ve long thought to be true

24.04.2025 18:40 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Awesome, thanks!

23.04.2025 19:43 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Love this idea. Any idea how to implement in R? Wasn’t able to find much with a quick look

23.04.2025 19:29 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Need some parenting advice. My four year old has been rampaging through the house smashing things with a baseball bat. He finally agreed to pause for 90 days. My instinct is to lavishly praise him for his foresight and restraint. But what would you do?

09.04.2025 20:38 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

“No other president would’ve done it” is the truest thing he’s ever said

09.04.2025 19:23 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I bounce back and forth (much like trump on tariffs) between “there is no plan” and “the plan is self-enrichment via market manipulation”. The truth is probably that trump is dumb and likes tariffs (no plan) + those around him see opportunities in that to make money

09.04.2025 18:42 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

I agree. But also worth noting that it’s actually a large shift in today’s political terrain

09.04.2025 14:29 👍 5 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I’m sure everyone will have a different favorite but “definition” really stands out to me

04.04.2025 18:01 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Really interesting. Is there a paper associated with this?

31.03.2025 19:21 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Don’t forget Willy!

22.03.2025 19:36 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

The obsession with tariffs actually makes a lot more sense if this was the ultimate goal

05.03.2025 18:31 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Why can’t we have nice things (planned cap increases that don’t get derailed by pandemics or idiotic policies)?

05.03.2025 15:28 👍 8 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
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Political scientists' statement on recent events Please use this form to add your signature to the following statement. Note that we are only soliciting signatures from individuals with PhDs in political science. We, the undersigned, are political ...

Are you a PhD in Political Science? #polisky Have you signed the statement against basic changes to government and democracy? 1200 people have signed (ranging in many ideologies). If you wish to sign, go here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F....

04.03.2025 21:50 👍 9 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
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Political scientists' statement on recent events Please use this form to add your signature to the following statement. Note that we are only soliciting signatures from individuals with PhDs in political science. We, the undersigned, are political ...

Political scientists: please consider signing, and sharing with other political scientists, this petition, which expresses urgent concerns about threats to the balance of powers in the U.S. today. Hundreds have already signed.

11.02.2025 16:06 👍 23 🔁 24 💬 0 📌 2
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The Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, a great org, asks individuals & orgs to sign their letter requesting Congress act to restore data that has been removed & ensure a similar purge does not reoccur.
#EconSky #PolicySky #sociology #PoliSky
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

04.02.2025 20:12 👍 224 🔁 151 💬 5 📌 24