I am a professor of political science at Loyola University Chicago where I teach courses on American politics and political behavior.
My research addresses a variety of issues related to political attitudes and behavior. I am particularly interested in:
the intersection between political structures and public opinion;
attitudes about crime and other local issues;
lab, survey, and field experimental research methods;
innovative approaches to teaching political concepts and methods to undergraduate and graduate students.
My work has appeared in journals including The American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, The Journal of Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Behavior, American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, and Journal of Political Science Education. See below for a full list of my publications and working papers, including links to papers.
PhD, Political Science: University of Colorado, 2008 Fields of Specialization: American Politics, Political Methodology
Dissertation: "Perceived Motivations in the Political Arena".
Committee: Jennifer Wolak (advisor), Ken Bickers, Vanessa Baird, John McIver, and Chick Judd
B.A., Political Science: New College, Sarasota, FL, 1999
Doherty, David, Michael Touchton, and Jeffrey Lyons. Forthcoming. "Partisanship and Support for Devolving Concrete Policy Decisions to the States." Political Behavior. [Replication Archive]
Sujack Family Award for Excellence in Faculty Research (Loyola University Chicago)
2021
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "The Public as Judges: Examining the Role of Convicts' Race in the Public's Sentencing Preferences."
2020
Office of Research Services, Cook County Community Survey: A Pilot Study (Loyola University Chicago)
2019
Sujack Master Teacher Award (Loyola University Chicago)
2018
Alice B. Hayes Advising and Mentoring Award (Loyola University Chicago)
2018
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "Local Party Chairs and the Electoral Process."
2016
Best Paper Award (APSA Experimental Methods Section): "The Effects of Candidate Race and Gender on Party Chairs' Assessments of Electoral Viability."
2016
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "The Effectiveness and Extent of Passing the Buck in Congress."
2015
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "The Public's Concept of Representation."
2014
Bonjean Award (Southwestern Social Sciences Association): "Pushing 'Reset': The Conditional Effects of Coaching
Replacements on College Football Performance."
2013
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "Public Responses to Negative Political Information."
2012
LUC Summer Research Stipend: "Public Preferences about the Representation Relationship."
2010
National Science Foundation Grant: "Social and Psychological Dimensions of Ballot Secrecy" (PIs: Alan Gerber and Gregory A. Huber)
2009
Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS) grant: "Who Do People Think Representatives Should Respond To: Their Constituents or the Country?"
2007
Center to Advance Research and Teaching in the Social Sciences (CARTSS) Scholars grant: "Deciding What is Fair" (Co-PI: Jennifer Wolak)
2006
Alumni Teaching Fellowship, New College (Sarasota, FL)
Invited Talks
Yale University, Center for the Study of American Politics Summer Workshop. June 10, 2019
Northwestern University, American Politics Workshop. May 17, 2019
University of Wisconsin--Madison, American Politics Workshop. April 29, 2019
Blalock Lecture (ICPSR Summer Program). July 7, 2016.
University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana. April 1, 2015.
University of Illinois Chicago. April 1, 2015.
North Carolina State University. March 16-18, 2015.
University of Chicago (Harris School). May 16, 2014.
