2025
Eat Cute
December 29, 2025. Some food wants to be eaten. It smiles at you… It waves… It invites you with an outstretched arm. More…
Comparative and Historical Sociology Podcast
Katrina Wang and Claire Yujie Ji interview Professor Charles Kurzman about his latest publication, “The Strange Career of Millian Methods,” on Episode 1 of the Comparative and Historical Sociology Podcast Series, July 2025. More…
Trump’s Justifications for the Latest Travel Ban Aren’t Supported by the Data on Immigration and Terrorism
Charles Kurzman, “Trump’s Justifications for the Latest Travel Ban Aren’t Supported by the Data on Immigration and Terrorism,” The Conversation, June 5, 2025. This travel ban, like Trump’s earlier ones, will not significantly improve national security and public safety in the United States. That’s because migrants account for a minuscule portion of violence in the U.S. And migrants from the latest travel ban countries account for an even smaller portion. More… (Updated data.)
In Praise of Bureaucacy
Charles Kurzman, “In Praise of Bureaucracy,” May 5, 2025. Everybody hates government bureaucracy. The very phrase brings to mind long lines at the Department of Motor Vehicles, endless paperwork, absurd regulations, and wasteful spending. So why did Max Weber, one of the most brilliant minds of 20th century sociology, say that bureaucracy is “the most rational known means of exercising authority over human beings”? Because making decisions based on personal discretion, rather than rules, allows organizations to favor allies and donors and bullies. We are re-learning that lesson this year. More…
Trump’s 2024 Electoral Mandate Was Below Average
President Trump is not afraid to be proven wrong in public. In mid-March 2025, while announcing a military attack on Yemen, he veered from foreign affairs to comment on the size of his electoral victory in 2024, which he characterized as “one of the largest mandates in Presidential History.” In fact, Trump’s mandate was well below average. Of all U.S. presidential elections, Trump’s margin in the popular vote ranked 50th out of 60, and his margin in Electoral College was tied for 46th out of 60. (Examine the data for yourself.)
The Strange Career of Millian Methods
Charles Kurzman, “The Strange Career of Millian Methods,” Social Forces, Vol. 103, No. 3, March 2025, pp. 821-838. In 1970, few social scientists had heard of Mill’s methods for comparative research. Within a decade, Mill’s methods of agreement and difference had become part of the methodological canon — despite Mill’s objections that these methods should under no circumstances be used in the social sciences. More… (Online appendix.)
The Parable of the Bad Samaritan
Charles Kurzman, “The Parable of the Bad Samaritan,” Baptist News, February 23, 2025. A rich Samaritan came upon a poor family by the side of the road. The family was Puerto Rican, and he threw packages of paper towels at them. The family was Ukrainian, and he refused to help unless their leaders dug up dirt on his political rival. The family was displaced by fire in Los Angeles, and he refused to help unless their leaders followed his orders. The family was Gazan, and he threatened to expel them from their homeland so he could build upscale resorts. More…
Muslim-American Involvement with Violent Extremism, 2001-2024
A full collection of past reports is available here.
Fatalities in the U.S. since 9/11 due to violent extremism by individuals from “travel ban” countries listed in the first Trump administration: 0.