I study representation and inequality in American democracy — how local governments use land, elections, and institutions to decide who belongs where, and who gets what.
I earned my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego in 2004, and I'm now a Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. Before Vanderbilt, I held the Foundation Board of Trustees Presidential Chair at UC Merced and taught politics and public policy at Princeton.
My work studies representation and inequality in American democracy, using quantitative and qualitative methods together. Segregation by Design traces how local governments used land-use authority to engineer residential separation and unequal public goods; Political Monopolies in American Cities examines the rise and fall of urban political machines. Alongside the books, I've written dozens of articles and chapters on land use, local elections, turnout, and race and class in city politics.
I consult for governments and community organizations, and I serve on numerous editorial and foundation boards.
Local Politics and Inequality in American Cities
Winner: Best Book in the Field (UAA), the J. David Greenstone Prize, and Best Book on Race, Ethnicity, and Urban Politics (APSA).
The Rise and Fall of Bosses and Reformers
An account of how machine and reform coalitions captured city government and locked out challengers.
Questions, collaborations, or a copy of a paper? Write to me.