Maxwell Palmer

Maxwell Palmer

@maxwellpalmer.com

Political scientist at Boston University. Institutions + local politics + voting rights. www.maxwellpalmer.com / www.housingpolitics.com

506 followers520 following68 posts

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jonathan Berk 🏠
@berkie1.bsky.social

“We’re trying to make sure we build no house? I don’t get it. People live in houses.” Marblehead’s David Modica is endorsing YES ON 7, a ballot question to legalize starter homes and make it easier to build more houses for people across Massachusetts.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Boston University Political Science is hiring an assistant professor with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (the intersection of artificial intelligence and politics or who use artificial intelligence applications as a methodology). @bupolisci.bsky.social academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32578

academicjobsonline.orgBoston University, Department of Political Science Job #AJO32578, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, US
Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Boston University Political Science is hiring an assistant professor with a focus on Artificial Intelligence (the intersection of artificial intelligence and politics or who use artificial intelligence applications as a methodology). @bupolisci.bsky.social academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/32578

academicjobsonline.orgBoston University, Department of Political Science Job #AJO32578, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, US
Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Partisan gerrymandering is a race to the bottom. Yesterday, Virginia voters narrowly approved (51–49) a constitutional amendment letting the state legislature redraw its congressional map through 2030 — bypassing the bipartisan commission voters created just a few years ago.

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Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Neither side has to trust the other or agree on what "fair" means. Instead, each party's self-interest checks the other's. In simulations on real election data, DCP dramatically shrinks partisan advantage. In Texas, ~90% less swing-seat manipulation vs. single-party control.

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Federal courts can't stop gerrymanders. Legislatures and voters are overruling commissions. DCP needs none of those to work—it's a partisan solution to a partisan problem. Simulations, state-by-state results, and the article are here: www.definecombine.com

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Partisan gerrymandering is a race to the bottom. Yesterday, Virginia voters narrowly approved (51–49) a constitutional amendment letting the state legislature redraw its congressional map through 2030 — bypassing the bipartisan commission voters created just a few years ago.

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

It's the latest in a year of tit-for-tat mid-decade gerrymandering: - Aug 2025: Texas redraws at Trump's request, +5 GOP seats - Missouri and North Carolina follow - Nov 2025: California passes Prop 50 - Apr 2026: Virginia More than a quarter of America's congressional districts have been redrawn.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jessica Trounstine
@trounstine.bsky.social

Come join us for the Local Political Economy (pre) Conference in Boston on September 2nd!! This year we'll have papers AND posters. Indicate your interest in presenting, discussing, or just attending by 4/30/26 here: forms.gle/bP16UPzRxfsk....

forms.gleLocal Political Economy ConferenceAPSA pre-Conference Wednesday September 2nd, 2026 (tentatively) 10am-6pm at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) Campus Happy Poster Hour reception 6-8pm to follow at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at H...

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Initiative on Cities
@buoncities.bsky.social

🏘️🏗️🏙️ Today, we release findings from the 2025 #MeninoSurvey, the only nationally representative survey of American mayors that explores what mayors see as the main drivers of rising housing costs, housing policy, and political barriers they face to building more homes. surveyofmayors.com 🧵⬇️

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

So many regulatory processes, from local zoning to federal rule-making, rely on public comment, and comments are treated as submitted in good faith. I've heard anecdotal cases of comments being written by AI, but not astroturfing-as-a-service.

David Roberts@volts.wtf

They were going to pass rules to phase out gas stoves, until they received 20,000 public comments against the regulations. Except, oops, it turns out the comments were generated by AI.

phys.orgSouthern California air board rejected pollution rules after AI-generated flood of commentsThe opposition appeared overwhelming: Tens of thousands of emails poured into Southern California's top air pollution authority as its board weighed a June proposal to phase out gas-powered appliances...

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jonathan Berk 🏠
@berkie1.bsky.social

Consistently, in survey after survey, housing availability and affordability is THE number one issue facing Massachusetts voters. A ‘status quo’ approach to housing from any elected official, of any political party, should be considered malpractice today.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jonathan Berk 🏠
@berkie1.bsky.social

A new poll from @abundanthousingma.org & YouGov finds 58% of voters support legalizing starter homes on 5,000sf lots. Just 21% oppose it. Legalizing smaller homes, instead of locking communities into 40,000sf+ mansion zoning, makes the American Dream more attainable in Massachusetts.

Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Is there an incompleteness or impossibility theorem about this? It's impossible to prevent hallucinations, and any model that reviews models to detect hallucinations is also vulnerable to hallucinations?

Prof Mike Yearworth@mikeyearworth.bsky.social

"In a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limits." www.computerworld.com/article/4059...

computerworld.comOpenAI admits AI hallucinations are mathematically inevitable, not just engineering flawsIn a landmark study, OpenAI researchers reveal that large language models will always produce plausible but false outputs, even with perfect data, due to fundamental statistical and computational limi...
Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

The redistricting battles evoke the cold war: "unilaterally disarm," "nuclear option," "mutually assured gerrymandering." We call our solution "mutually assured representation." bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com

Newsom: "We're doing this in reaction to a president that called the governor of the state of Texas and said 'find me 5 seats' ... we cannot unilaterally disarm ... other blue states need to stand up"

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Ben Schneer
@benschneer.bsky.social

I've been thinking through the implications of extreme gerrymandering for several years now. Today I wrote an article in Time that lays out the problem and describes one solution. We think that we need a "partisan" solution to partisan gerrymandering. time.com/7309565/amer...

time.comHow to Fix America’s Gerrymandering ProblemAs Trump pushes states to redraw districts in favor of Republicans, this solution could help stop gerrymandering.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Ben Schneer
@benschneer.bsky.social

You may have noticed things are happening fast in the world of redistricting… I along with @maxwellpalmer.com and @simko.bsky.social wrote an article last week (though published today) that analyzes the changes to the congressional district map in Texas, and particularly San Antonio.

expressnews.comRepublicans are seeking to create a durable gerrymander in TexasShort-term tactical gains in Texas could ultimately yield a race to the bottom.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jonathan Berk 🏠
@berkie1.bsky.social

Blocking new development doesn’t “preserve” your town—it drains your wallet. No new homes = no new taxpayers… but guess what does grow? School budgets, potholes, annual maintenance costs and legacy pension requirements. Fewer people to split that bill = higher taxes for you.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Ben Schneer
@benschneer.bsky.social

Please check out the thread and paper @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social, @maxwellpalmer.com, and I wrote below. We started this project a LONG time ago, and could never have anticipated exactly how timely it would be when it finally was published.

blogs.lse.ac.ukLegislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies | USAPPRecent years have seen dramatic shifts in Americans’ attitudes towards immigration, with a majority now favoring decreasing immigration levels. But in what is often called a “nation of immigrants”, ho...
James Feigenbaum@jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social

Does family history matter to policy making? With @maxwellpalmer.com and @benschneer.bsky.social (forthcoming @qjeharvard.bsky.social), we reconstruct MCs’ ancestry and found that lawmakers with immigrant parents or grandparents consistently vote for more permissive immigration policies 1/X

Maxwell Palmer reposted

James Feigenbaum
@jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social

What happens when immigrants and their descendants enter the halls of power? Does family history matter for policy on a contentious topic like immigration? @benschneer.bsky.social, @maxwellpalmer.com, and I wrote a post for the LSE United States Centre about our forthcoming @qjeharvard.bsky.social

LSE US Politics and Policy blog - USAPP@lseusablog.bsky.social

Legislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies find @jamesfeigenbaum.bsky.social and @maxwellpalmer.com of @bostonu.bsky.social and Benjamin Schneer of @harvardkennedy.bsky.social blogs.lse.ac.uk/usappblog/20...

blogs.lse.ac.ukLegislators who descend from immigrants historically supported more permissive immigration policies | USAPPRecent years have seen dramatic shifts in Americans’ attitudes towards immigration, with a majority now favoring decreasing immigration levels. But in what is often called a “nation of immigrants”, ho...

Maxwell Palmer reposted

David Roberts
@volts.wtf

A truly depressing account of the enormous time, effort, & resources that go into building *anything* in blue cities. Can not be exaggerated how much this phenomenon is crippling blue politics in the US. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...

inquirer.comHow many meetings does it take in Philadelphia to build 57 affordable homes? A lot.The Philadelphia Housing Authority and developer Pennrose have been trying to get project approval since 2019. The cost has risen, and federal funding could be at risk.

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Jonathan Berk 🏠
@berkie1.bsky.social

Boston's Zoning Board of Appeals, in a 5-2 vote, rejected plans for 70-units of new housing, just 0.3mi to the MBTA's Andrew Square station, to replace a 2-story industrial building. US Congressman Stephen Lynch (D) sent an aide to read a letter opposing the development for lack of parking...

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Christopher Gavin
@chrisgavin.bsky.social

New: Johnston, R.I., has formally taken ownership of 31 acres of land through eminent domain as it moves forward with plans to build a new Town Hall and police and fire stations there, thwarting a proposal seeking to build affordable housing at the site. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/17/m...

bostonglobe.comJohnston, R.I., follows through on seizure of land by eminent domain, halting 250-unit affordable housing project - The Boston GlobeTown officials are facing a lawsuit alleging they abused the law to block the housing “simply because they don’t want that kind of thing in their town.”

Maxwell Palmer reposted

Katherine Levine Einstein
@katherineeinst.bsky.social

This story underscores just how much communities are willing to spend to avoid building more housing. @maxwellpalmer.com and I find that communities buy land, sometimes to block affordable housing, with no plan or capacity to maintain/redevelop the property. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/05/m...

bostonglobe.comAfter eight years, Northborough has no purpose for historic White Cliffs estate - The Boston GlobeNorthborough has poured millions into the White Cliffs estate. It still is unused.
Maxwell Palmer
@maxwellpalmer.com

Great callout from @bostonglobe.com from our new report with The Boston Foundation:

Katherine Levine Einstein @katherineeinst.bsky.social

Excited to see @maxwellpalmer.bsky.social and my research in this @bostonglobe.com op-ed this morning. The use of public money to actively block much-needed affordable housing is appalling, and shows the strength of opposition to new housing in Greater Boston. www.bostonglobe.com/2024/11/25/o...

bostonglobe.comUsing tax dollars to block new housing is bad policy - The Boston GlobeMore than a dozen communities have been accused of ‘weaponizing’ the sale of public land to stop housing development.