Brian Knight
Assistant Professor of Economics

Brian Knight’s research and teaching focuses on the intersection of public economics and political economy. He uses econometrics and theoretical models to analyze political processes. One of his recent papers measured the influence of early primaries and caucuses on the electoral process. He found that states like Iowa and New Hampshire may have a disproportionate influence on who gets elected. Another recent paper investigated the effect of newspaper endorsements on voter decision making.

John Logan
Professor of Sociology
Director of Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences

John Logan is an urban sociologist who makes much use of spatial concepts in studies of residential patterns in U.S. cities. He directs the project “US2010: America after the First Decade of the New Century,” which analyzes the key trends in American society based on census data. Logan’s research includes a study of voter turnout by race and Hispanic origin, and immigrant generation. He has also studied the “suppressive effects” of voter identification requirements.

Marion Orr
The Fred Lippitt Professor of Public Policy, Political Science and Urban Studies
Director, Taubman Center for Public Policy

Political scientist Marion Orr’s research is in the areas of American government and politics, urban politics, race and politics, community organizing, urban public policy, and the politics of urban schools. Orr conducts regular polls of Rhode Island voters and will have specific expertise on state issues and races.

Tricia Rose
Professor of Africana Studies

Tricia Rose's work focuses on race and gender in American cultural politics. A frequent public speaker and media commentator, Rose is available to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the politics of race in America, inequality, the role of media, popular culture, hip hop, gender, and sexuality. Rose has been featured on MSNBC, CNN, NPR, Current TV, and other national and local media outlets.

Wendy Schiller
Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy

Wendy Schiller is an expert on the U.S. Congress and political representation. She has published work on the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, and recently co-authored an American politics textbook titled Gateways to Democracy. Schiller is a frequent guest and contributor to MSNBC, Bloomberg Radio and TV, National Public Radio, and Reuters.

Michael Tesler
Assistant Professor of Political Science

Michael Tesler’s research interests include public opinion, voting behavior, political psychology, and racial politics. Tesler is co-author of Obama’s Race: The 2008 Election and the Dream of a Post-Racial America (2010: University of Chicago Press), which argues that the 2008 election was more polarized by racial attitudes than any other presidential election on record. He was also the principal investigator on two related projects funded by the National Science Foundation dealing with the “spillover of racialization” — how racial attitudes have become infused in Obama’s policy choices.