Author Archives: David S. Meyer

Unknown's avatar

About David S. Meyer

Author and professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine

Replaying the numbers game

Posted on January 23, 2017 by David S. Meyer

Bizarrely, once he had assumed office, Donald Trump used his new platform to fight about reports of attendance and viewership at his inauguration. In real life, even much lower attendance would have little immediate effect on the fact that Trump … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Protest in the Trump era, part 2 of …..

Posted on January 22, 2017 by David S. Meyer

Donald Trump has provoked plenty of protest in his day, a period that, alas, will continue for at least a while. I’ve been trying to figure out which causes and constituencies are likely to be able to generate sustained, diversified, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Protest in the Trump era, part 1 of….

Posted on January 20, 2017 by David S. Meyer

Donald Trump’s opponents didn’t wait for his election, much less his inauguration, to take to the streets.  As candidate and president-elect, Trump has been consistent in provoking organized protest. Over the past few days, activists have staged creative, disruptive, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Will the Women’s March matter?

Posted on January 19, 2017 by David S. Meyer

Increasingly, the women’s march looks to sound the trumpet for a new surge in oppositional politics during the Trump era–however long it lasts. Counter-inaugural protests are nothing new, but this effort is getting more and better attention than any others … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tangling with an icon: John Lewis and Donald Trump

Posted on January 16, 2017 by David S. Meyer

At first glance, it seemed that Donald Trump had been foolish in going after Representative John Lewis, an authentic American hero. Through intense commitment, moral clarity, and physical courage, young John Lewis earned a place in American history long before … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Martin Luther King Day, 2017

Posted on January 16, 2017 by David S. Meyer

(This is a repost of the MLKing Day holiday note.) Martin Luther King died young enough and dramatically enough to be turned into an American hero, but it was neither his youth nor his death that made him heroic. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The protest(s) sessions and what comes next

Posted on January 10, 2017 by David S. Meyer

Unlike most of his would-be Cabinet mates, Attorney General-designate Jeff Sessions has filed his ethics and financial disclosure forms. When Senate committee hearings began this morning, his opponents were ready. Lisa Desjardins, from PBS Newshour, posted the welcome Senator Sessions … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Twitter’s stormtroopers

Posted on December 12, 2016 by David S. Meyer

It took me a long time to understand why Donald Trump’s nasty tweets about people he didn’t like mattered at all. Protecting free speech means that people, including candidates for office, are allowed to say stupid hateful things. I didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rosa Parks resistance, anniversary.

Posted on December 1, 2016 by David S. Meyer

Today’s entry reposts on the anniversary of Rosa Parks’s refusal to move to the back of a Montgomery bus.   Fifty-seven (now, 61) years ago today, Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Flag battles at Hampshire College: the politics of diversion

Posted on November 30, 2016 by David S. Meyer

Do you want to talk about the American flag? Hampshire College, in Western Massachusetts has (temporarily) removed the flag from its central flagpole to foster a dialogue about symbols. Upset about Donald Trump’s election, the next day students lowered the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments