In addition to the research that I conduct and write-up for scholarly audiences, I also periodically contribute analysis and commentary for popular consumption. A select number of these works appear below. Links to my various media appearances and media coverage of my research also appear below.
Analysis & Commentary
"The Truth About 'Rural Rage,'" Reason, March 7, 2024, with Nicholas F. Jacobs.
“Voter Access and Ballot Security in Utah," The Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy, January 2024.
"Lions, States, and Bears, Oh My!: Wildlife Management as a Case Study in the Complexities and Nuances of American Federalism," The Federalism Blog of the Federalism Index Project, UVU Center for Constitutional Studies, November, 17, 2023.
“Partisan Primaries are a Problem,” The Daily Interlake, April 23, 2023, with David C.W. Parker.
“Faction is the (only viable) future for the Democratic party,” The Niskanen Center, March 2023, with Robert P. Saldin.
“American Electoral Politics is Dominated by the Rural-Urban Divide. What Factors Explain It? And Can Policy Intervention Ameliorate It?,” The Gary R. Herbert Institute for Public Policy, February 2023.
“Why resentful rural Americans vote Republican,” The Washington Post, October 20, 2022, with Nicholas F. Jacobs.
“The Democrats’ Rural Problem,” Washington Monthly, July 28, 2022, with Robert P. Saldin.
“Go Local, Young Democrat: How nationalization of everything is widening the urban-rural divide, and what Democrats can do about it,” Democracy Journal (No. 64), Spring 2022, with Robert P. Saldin. Additional coverage: National Public Radio’s Detroit Today Show.
“Local Beats, National Consequences: The Link Between Local News and American Democratic Health,” The Niskanen Center, October 12, 2021, with Robert P. Saldin and Richard J. Burke.
“Changing how we run our elections in Montana could lead to better government,” Bozeman Daily Chronicle, October 10, 2021, with David C.W. Parker. Also published by The Montana Standard, Missoulian, Helena Independent Record, The Daily Montanan.
“A Modest Proposal to Improve Montana’s Politics: Ranked Choice Voting and Top Four Primaries Considered,” Article IV, October 2021, with David C.W. Parker.
“Gone Country: Why Democrats Need to Play in Rural America, and How They Can Do It Again,” The Niskanen Center, March 11, 2021, with Robert P. Saldin. Additional media coverage: The National Review, National Public Radio’s Heartland Politics Show, Trouw (Dutch newspaper)
“Overcoming the Democrats’ Rural Problem,” The Hill, December 6, 2020, with Robert P. Saldin.
“Race for the Senate 2020: Experts’ views from the states,” Brookings Institute, October 30, 2020, with Andra Gillespie, John Hudak, Jason Husser, Nazita Lajevardi, Patrick R. Miller, Barbara Norrander, Anand Sokhey, Tracy Osborn, and Danielle Vinson
“Biden appeals both to black voters and to white voters suspicious of Black Lives Matter,” The Washington Post, January 2, 2020, with Richard Burke, Nicole Huffman, and Connor Munis. Additional media coverage: New York Magazine, Slate Magazine
“How populism can help explain the support for the 2020 Democratic Primary candidates,” London School of Economics, U.S. Politics and Policy Blog, December 16, 2019, with Richard Burke, Nicole Huffman, and Connor Munis.
“Trump and Connection to Place in Montana's U.S. Senate Race,” Brookings Institute, October 26, 2018
“Jon Tester and Matt Rosendale are Fighting over who's the `real' Montanan. Here's how that affects voters,” The Washington Post, July 18, 2018, with Nicholas Jacobs.
“Carhartt, Bloodlines, and Place of Birth: The Recurrent Battle Over Who's the Most Montanan,” Big Sky Political Analysis Blog, April 2, 2018
“Culture as an `Instrumental' Political Strategy in Russia-Serbia Relations,” Balkanist, May 15, 2015, with Arif Memovic
Media Appearances & Research Coverage
"An Utterly Misleading Book About Rural America," The Atlantic, April 4, 2024.
"White rural voters: A threat to democracy?," The Week, March 22, 2024.
"Montana, an Island of Abortion Access, Preps for Consequential Elections and Court Decisions," KFF Health News, March 14, 2024. Also appeared at The 19th, Governing, The Billings Gazette, and other outlets.
"Demonising rural voters invites defeat for the Democrats," The New Statesman, March 13, 2024.
"The False Narrative of White Rural Rage," The Denver Gazette, Rachel Stovall, March 12, 2024.
"‘White rural rage’ book botches research, cited scholars say," The College Fix, March 11, 2024.
"Public policy institute reports 'utmost confidence in the security of Utah's elections," KSL News Salt Lake City, January 29, 2024.
"Who was Tim Sheehy before he started running for Senate? Here’s what we know," Montana Free Press, December 04, 2023.
"It's Tim Time!," Montana Free Press, June 30, 2023.
“The Resentment Fueling the Republican Party Is Not Coming From the Suburbs,” New York Times, January 26, 2023.
“Sen. Mike Lee keeps portions of donations in fundraising effort for Herschel Walker,” Fox 13 Salt Lake City, December 6, 2022.
“Climate on trial: Montana youth take on state energy policy,” E&E News, December 1, 2022. This article also appeared in Politico.
“The Urban/Rural Divide,” Red, White, and Confused Podcast (with Dr. Heather Evans) on WEHC 90.7: The Voice of Southwest Virginia, November 3, 2022.
“This Election, Students Have Skin in the Game,” Montana Kaimin, November 3, 2022
“The Zinke, Tranel (and Lamb) Show,” Montana Free Press, October 27, 2022. This article also appeared on NBC Montana.
“Ryan Zinke’s return to Washington far from certain,” E&E News, October 26, 2022.
“Paul Krugman misses the boat in response to empirical work on rural resentment and who gets what from the federal government,” Legal Ruralism Blog, October 22, 2022.
“The impact of rural resentment on how rural folks vote,” Legal Ruralism Blog, October 22, 2022.
“Wonking Out: Facts, Feelings and Rural Politics,” New York Times, October 22, 2022.
“Political divide fueled by ‘grievance’ of ‘resentful rural’ GOP voters, claims Washington Post report,” Fox News, October 21, 2022.
“The real American divide: Rural v. Urban voters,” News Nation’s “On Balance with Leland Vittert,” October 21, 2022.
“Theory of resentment driving rural Republican votes is firmed up by analyzing national polls, researchers write,” Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues’ “The Rural Blog,” October 21, 2022.
“Zinke's Washington scandals follow him to Montana House race,” Politico, October 13, 2022.
“Searching for ‘fair’ on Montana’s legislative map,” Montana Free Press, September 30, 2022.
“Not all politics is local — but quite a bit of it is,” BSU’s The Blue Review, August 31, 2022.
“Dr. Oz should be worried - voters punish ‘carpet baggers,’ and new research shows why,” Salon, August 19, 2022. This article also appeared in The Conversation.
Radio interview on “The Attitude with Arnie Arnesen” (WNHM FM) discussing how Democrats can best navigate the urban-rural divide, August 3, 2022.
“Where did 2020 trouncing leave MT’s Democratic Party,” The Missoulian, July 24, 2022. This article also appeared in many other news outlets in Montana, including the Independent Record, Billings Gazette, etc.
Detroit Today, “Why one political scientist believes Democrats can still win rural voters,” WDET Detroit National Public Radio station, May 10, 2022.
“Politics is still local. When incumbents face off in redrawn districts, community ties make a big difference,” The Washington Post, November 30, 2021.
“Rediscovering party factions,” The National Review, April 20, 2021.
Heartland Politics Show, “How can Democrats compete in rural areas?,” WVIK Quad Cities National Public Radio station, April 16, 2021.
Areas of Agreement Podcast, “Episode Two: Everyone Eats,” November 2020.
Areas of Agreement Podcast, “Episode One: America’s Urban-Rural Fault Line,” September 2020.
“The coalitions aren’t lining up,” Slate Magazine, January 14, 2020.
“The secret to Joe Biden’s (hypothetical) electability,” New York Magazine, January 3, 2020
“Jon Tester Bets the Farm,” The Atlantic, October 25, 2018.