Simon Weschle

@simonweschle.bsky.social

Associate Professor of Political Science at UNC.
www.simonweschle.com

@carnes.bsky.socialReposted by @simonweschle.bsky.social

It's finally publication day for this decade-in-the-making book. @noamlupu.bsky.social and I explain why working-class jobs make up 70% of the average democracy's labor force, but only 2% of the average democracy's national lawmakers had working-class jobs when they got into politics.

@simonweschle.bsky.social

Btw, this can happily co-exist with reining in grade inflation for upper-level students, which we should also do. But people need to be able to try out new things (and sometimes fail) before settling on a path without this jeopardizing their chances to get into law/med school or whatever

@simonweschle.bsky.social

Michigan is moving to pass/fail for first semester students. This is great and should be expanded to the full first year. Too many students are (rightly) hesitant to try out new and challenging subjects because they are afraid it will mess up their GPA

www.nytimes.com/2026/08/11/u...

nytimes.comUniversity of Michigan Will Ease Up on Grades for Student Mental HealthThe University of Michigan will make first-semester grades pass or fail, to encourage students to try different classes and lessen fears of what a low grade could mean.
@simonweschle.bsky.social

(Soft) deadline for this is tomorrow, so please apply!

Simon Weschle@simonweschle.bsky.social

🚨 JOB ALERT 🚨 We're hiring a Teaching Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics! Come join a great department: unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312... I'm on the committee, so send any questions my way. #polisky #academicjobs

The Department of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for the position of Teaching Assistant Professor of Political Science. We are looking for a colleague who will teach three courses per semester in our undergraduate curriculum. The principal responsibility will be teaching in Comparative Politics, especially the introductory course, but the candidate may be invited to teach other courses, depending upon the department’s needs and the candidate’s areas of expertise. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated record of successful undergraduate instruction. There are no research expectations associated with this position. This is a fixed term position with an initial appointment for three years and opportunities for re-appointment and advances contingent on performance and available funding. As part of the University’s teaching track, the position offers competitive benefits. More information on UNC’s career ladder and fixed term ranks is available here: https://facultyaffairs.unc.edu/policies-and-procedures/faculty-appointments/fixed-term-faculty-ranks/.
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