The Political Scientist

As promised, I've completed further analysis of the impact of various factors on median household income at the metropolitan area level, the results of which are displayed and discussed below. Rather than focus on median household income in general, I've gone a step further with this analysis by looking at variation in median household income by income tier -- e.g., lower income, middle income, and upper income tiers. The results are interesting (at least I think so...), and they arguably have significance for public policy. Also, if you don't care for all the glorious (ok...boring) details in the following analysis, just scroll on down to the conclusion. In my previous post I alluded to what I viewed as a misguided hyper-focus on security, crime, and undocumented immigration in this current presidential election season (most notably because of the rhetoric of the Republican nominee) that has distracted from other important social and economic issues. Now, I certainly thi...

While this election season has a particular candidate caricaturing himself as a "law and order" candidate, violence and crime are far from what ails this country. Most reports show that crime is down across the U.S., and while police deaths (and really all deaths) are tragedies in their own right, this issue has been largely exaggerated. These are certainly important problems, but many of the issues that impact the majority of Americans are economic and social in nature. Regarding the economic problems, household income is a particularly important issue. So, in continuation with the theme of my last post, I'd like to present some of my findings from an analysis I did of the factors associated with variation in median household income in 229 U.S. metropolitan areas. I'll try to give the least technical presentation that I can of the data as I discuss my findings. ***A quick disclaimer on causation: Statistical models are amazing tools, but it's often the respo...

As my time in graduate school continues, my research within political science has expanded to yet another subfield: Urban Politics. Keeping with the theme of conducting research at the urban level, rather than at the federal or international level, for this latest research paper (linked below) I looked at variation in the size of the lower, middle, and upper class in 229 U.S. metropolitan areas and explored the effect of factors related to educational attainment, the number of people whose degrees were in particular fields of study, and the size of the manufacturing sector (among other variables) on class size in 2014 and the net change in class size from 2000 to 2014. My findings were many and varied, but if you want the quick version, just read the intro and the conclusion. But if you're feeling especially adventurous (and have nothing better to do...) go ahead and read the whole thing ;). Among the more comforting findings from my analysis was the positive ...

With my journey through grad school continuing, I've successfully completed three research papers this semester for my proseminars on international politics, political modernization, and congressional politics. The fact that I enjoyed each class and conducting research for each proves just how much of a nerd I really am! This latest round of papers I've completed encompass a variety of topics. In the first, I explore the relationship between foreign aid and immigration: is increasing foreign aid to a given country a viable strategy for curbing inflows of migrants? If so, foreign aid can serve as a valuable tool for policymakers who have to contend with constituent demands that immigration be reduced. Simultaneously, because foreign aid, in theory, would reduce immigration by improving prospects for employment and ensuring more secure household incomes in other countries, aid can be a more successful long-term strategy for reducing immigration since individuals...

Political scholars have long noted the important relationship between presidents' use of plebiscitarian activity (i.e., public addresses, appeals, speeches, etc.) to achieve legislative success, whether that means persuading voters to elect certain people to Congress, or convincing voters that a particular issue/piece of legislation is important and worthy of their support. In the paper linked below, I examine whether social media has had any effect on how successful presidents have been at using plebiscitarian activity in getting their proposed budgets enacted by Congress and if social media has changed the frequency that presidents make use of traditional forms of media (such as television) to make public appeals for pieces of legislation. As you'll see, the era of Twitter and Facebook has had a substantial effect on presidential success. Cheers! " The Gatekeepers Have Lost Their Hold:  The President's Legislative Success & Social Media "

Among the various topics that I'm currently researching, the relationship between education and democracy is one that I find particularly interesting. Even though the relationship between education and democratization has been regarded as a quintessentially important one, only recently have political scholars begun to empirically examine this relationship. The pdf file I've linked below is a recent research paper I completed for a proseminar in comparative politics in which I attempt to contribute to the existing discussion on the relationship between education and democracy. I'd be happy to answer any questions regarding my findings or the data I used. Enjoy! The Impact of World Bank Education Programs on Democratic Transition