Recent electoral cycles have witnessed a striking resurgence in “town hall meetings” as a preferred format for political debates and campaign events. From presidential debates to local candidate forums, the […]
Why Don’t Ruling Parties Create Permanent Legislative Majorities Through Redistricting?
Every decade, after the census, state legislatures across America engage in the ultimate exercise of political power: redrawing electoral districts. In most states, the party controlling the legislature and governor’s […]
80 Cents on the Dollar? A Critical Analysis of Federal Grants to State Governments
State governments across America face a fundamental dilemma: accept federal funding with strings attached, or forgo billions in resources that their taxpayers have already sent to Washington. This is not […]
The Paradox of Political Ambition: Why Anyone Would Want to Run for Office
“You’d have to be crazy to run.” This observation about modern politics has become almost cliché, yet it captures a fundamental puzzle in political science. While public service was once […]
Presidential Ideal Points in the Age of Trump: A Suggestion for Future Research
One of the more powerful tools in understanding American political institutions is the ideal point estimate — a statistical summary of how a political actor behaves across a set of […]
Modeling the NFL Betting Market
Looking ahead to the 2025/26 NFL season, I analyzed DraftKings betting lines to understand how point spreads and over/under totals reflect expectations about team performance. Using data from each week’s […]
Do Judges and Juries See Cases Differently? Rethinking the Severity Gap
A well-documented finding in legal research is that judges tend to render more severe verdicts than juries do when deciding the same cases. The table below compiles the results of […]
Cases that Illustrate Felony-Murder Rule
Teaching a class on judicial process and politics, I located some interesting cases to illustrate the felony-murder rule. I think it’s an interesting legal doctrine and students were surprised to […]
Career Planning Advice for Students (in Simple Diagram)
As a college professor, I have had many opportunities to talk with students about their career plans. Many of these students are trying to figure out if they should go […]
Requiring that States Pay Jurors at Least Minimum Wage for Serving on Juries
Jury service is a cornerstone of the American justice system, yet jurors in many states receive woefully inadequate compensation for their time and effort. Across the United States, the rates […]