A growing chorus of elected officials and reporters has sought to tie the Merrimack Valley gas explosions to inadequacies in the state’s natural gas infrastructure and regulatory regime. A number of state representatives have now called for hearings to explore the extent to which chronic shortages of state gas inspectors as well as a host…
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Issue 1: Showcasing Our Unhealthy Democracy
Issue 1 has me in knots. Not because it is confusing as hell (and it is). No, for me, Issue 1 is a woeful reminder of how our legislative institutions fail regular citizens and how even the promise of direct democracy does not save us. On the “yes” side of Issue 1, as my colleague…
After Merrimack: What Comes Next?
Less than 24-hours after explosions rocked the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts residents are struggling to make sense of the tragic incident that resulted in more than 60 fires, at least 25 injuries, and one death. The months ahead will pose an innumerable number of challenges for the residents of Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover. From rebuilding…
Will Progressive Newcomers Reshape the Legislative Agenda?
Last Tuesday’s primary has been deemed a watershed moment for Massachusetts progressives. From Ayanna Pressley’s defeat of 10-term incumbent Michael Capuano to Nika Elugardo’s victory over Ways and Means Chairman Jeffrey Sánchez, progressive candidates notched a host of impressive wins. For context, 15 out of the 30 candidates endorsed by Progressive Massachusetts won their primary…
Primary Election Day 2018: Sorry, the Commonwealth Is Hungover
Summer is in the home-stretch. Winter in these parts is cruel and none of us get enough sunlight. Every New Englander who has the luxury is thus basking in the last ten days of summer before its unofficial end the Tuesday after Labor Day. Sharks be damned! Beach, cookouts, festivals, porches, lakes, and libations –…
Time Out for A Personal-Political Post
One of the catch-phrases of 1960s political activism was “the personal is political.” When you’re a political scientist, this is certainly true. Facebook reminded me of this recently when it showed me memories of our vacation last year. I wrote this post last year, but never posted it; the pictures in my feed reminded me…
Jeff Jacoby’s Latest: Embarrassingly Wrong and Dangerously Irresponsible
Jeff Jacoby’s latest column, published at the right wing website Townhall as well as in the Boston Globe, is a bitter conservative twofer. In a column about the widely reported incident at Smith College wherein a student of color was mistaken for a suspicious and/or unauthorized visitor and subjected to police questioning, Jacoby managed to…
Ayanna Pressley: Harbinger of Change to MA Democratic Party?
Both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature have been controlled by Democrats since 1959. In Political Science, we find single party control makes it less likely that the party in charge expands its base and stable of candidates. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Here in the Commonwealth, this has meant an increasingly diverse state…
The Environmental Bond Bill: Good Policy, Great Politics
With all the talk about late budgets, overtime scandals, and, of course, contested primaries, the Massachusetts environmental bond bill (H.4613/S.249) has garnered little attention. At first glance, the bond bill, technically entitled An Act Promoting Climate Change Adaptation, Environmental and Natural Resource Protection, and Investment in Recreational Assets and Opportunity, looks rather innocuous. The most…
Springtime for Oligarchs
There hasn’t been a better time in memory to be an oligarch. In America, it’s Springtime for Oligarchs.