Areas of Expertise

American politics, representation, public opinion, state and local politics, environmental politics and policy, and statistical methodology

Current Research

One of the most profound questions in the study of democratic governance is whether the government is responsive to the preferences of its citizens and how the influence of the mass public varies across institutional contexts and over time. In my research, I evaluate the links between public opinion, elections, and political outcomes in city and state governments, as well as the U.S. Congress. I also examine how political institutions, such as term limits or direct democracy, influence political representation. In order to do this, I have developed new techniques to accurately measure the policy preferences of the American public at a variety of geographic levels. I have published my work in the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Political Analysis, Nature Energy, and edited volumes from Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. My non-academic writing has also been published in the New York Times Upshot.

Education

Ph.D., Stanford University

J.D., Stanford Law School

B.A., Williams College

CV (PDF)

Publications

"Politics in Forgotten Governments: The Partisan Composition of County Legislatures and County Fiscal Policies." Forthcoming. Journal of Politics. (with Justin de Benedictis-Kessner)

"Policy Ideology in European Mass Publics, 1981–2016." 2019. American Political Science Review. 113(3): 674-693. (with Devin Caughey and Tom O’Grady).

"Does Global Warming Increase Public Concern About Climate Change?" 2019. Journal of Politics. 81(2): 686-691. (with Parrish Bergquist)

"Local Elections and Representation in the United States." 2019. Annual Review of Political Science. 22(1): 461-479.

"Policy Preferences and Policy Change: Dynamic Responsiveness in the American States, 1936-2014." 2018. American Political Science Review. 112(2): 249-266. (with Devin Caughey)

"Partisan Gerrymandering and the Political Process: Effects on Roll-Call Voting and State Policies." Election Law Journal. December, 2017. 16(4): 453-469. (with Devin Caughey and Chris Tausanovitch)

"Incremental Democracy: The Policy Effects of Partisan Control of State Government." 2017. Journal of Politics. 79(4): 1342-1358. (with Devin Caughey and Yiqing Xu)

"Renewable energy policy design and framing influence public support in the United States." Nature Energy July, 2017. (with Leah Stokes)

"The Dynamics of State Policy Liberalism, 1936-2014." American Journal of Political Science. October, 2016. 60(4): 899-913 (with Devin Caughey)

"Mayoral Partisanship and Municipal Fiscal Policy" Journal of Politics. October, 2016. 78(4): 1124-1138 (with Justin de Benedictis-Kessner)

Classes Taught

PSC 2223 - Campaigns and Elections

PSC 3500 - Democracy in America

PSC 8124 - Multilevel Modeling