Publications & Projects

More Than Blue, More Than Yankee: Complexity and Change in New England Politics. October 2024. Amy Fried and Erin O'Brien, eds.  Amherst and Boston:  University of Massachusetts Press. 

The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. 2022. Jerold Duquette and Erin O'Brien, eds. Amherst and Boston:  University of Massachusetts Press. 

The Politics of Identity: Solidarity Building among America's Working Poor. 2009. SUNY Series in Public Policy. State University of New York Press. 

Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government. 2008. David Dulio, Erin O'Brien, and John Klemanski, eds. Pearson Press.

“Bad Lessons:  Policy Feedback and the Democratic Costs of Student Loans.” available ahead of print.  The Review of Higher Education. (with Travis Johnston)

"Gendering Yankee Ingenuity: Electing Women in New England," New England Journal of Political Science. Vol. 14: No. 1, Article 4.  2023. (with Jane JaKyung Han).

*A prior version was presented at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the New England Political Science Association and won the John C. Donovan Prize for Best Paper by a Faculty Member*

“Massachusetts Exceptionalism as Identity and Debate.” Historical Journal of Massachusetts. Vol. 50(1/2). 64-79. Summer 2022. (with Jerold Duquette)

“Bad Lesson: How Student Loan Debt Promotes Participatory Inequality.” Juniata Voices. Volume 21: 146-155. Based on Calvert Ellis Distinguished Lecture, Juniata College.  2021.

“Jim Crow 2.0?:  Why States Consider and Adopt Restrictive Voter Access Policies.” Perspectives on Politics. 11(4): 1088-1116. December 2013.  (with Keith Bentele).  

“Quasi-Experimental Design, Constituency, and Advancing Women’s Interests:  ‘Critically’ Reexamining the Influence of Gender on Substantive Representation.” Political Research Quarterly.  64(2): 472-486,  June 2011. (with Jason MacDonald).

“You Got It, So When Do You Flaunt It?:  Building Rapport, Intersectionality, and the Strategic Deployment of Gender in the Field.”  Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. 38(3): 358-383, June 2009.  (with Julie Mazzei).

 “The Double-Edged Sword of Women’s Organizing:  Poverty and the Emergence of Racial and Class Differences in Women’s Political Priorities.”  Women & Politics. 26(3/4): 25-56, 2004.  

“Welfare Policy Choices in the States:  Does the Hard Line Follow the Color Line?”  Focus. 23(1): 9-15, Winter 2004.  (with Joe Soss, Sanford Schram, and Tom Vartanian). 

“Setting the Terms of Relief:  Explaining State Policy Choices in the Devolution Revolution.”  American Journal of Political Science.  45(2): 378-395, 2001.  (with Joe Soss, Sanford Schram, and Tom Vartanian).

“Gendering Yankee Ingenuity: Electing Women in New England.” In More than Blue, More than Yankee: Complexity and Change in New England Politics. forthcoming. University of Massachusetts Press. Amy Fried and Erin O’Brien co-editors. (with Jane JaKyung Han*). 32 pages.

***Winner of the John C. Donovan Prize for Best Paper by a Faculty Member presented

     at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the New England Political Science***

“Massachusetts Politics: Context and Culture.” 2022. In The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, co-editors. 19-44.

“Voter Access in Massachusetts: From Laggard to Leader.” 2022. In The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, co-editors. 187-209.

“Electing Women, Women of Color in Massachusetts: Not So Exceptional.” 2022. In The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, co-editors. 187-209.

“Introduction: Massachusetts Exceptionalism as Identity and Debate.”  2022. In The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, co-editors. 1-16. (with Jerold Duquette)

“Conclusion: Massachusetts Politics: Exceptional? It’s Complicated” 2022. In The Politics of Massachusetts Exceptionalism: Reputation Meets Reality. Amherst and Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Press. Jerold Duquette and Erin O’Brien, co-editors. (with Jerold Duquette). 282-288.

“States Should NOT Enact Voter ID Laws and Reduce Early Voting.”  2021.  In Debating Reform: Conflicting Perspectives on How to Fix the American Political System.  Washington DC:  CQ Press. (with Keith Bentele). Prior version published 2016. 69-81.

 “Religiosity, Public Opinion, and the Stem Cell Debate.”  In Ann Duncan and Steven Jones, eds.  Church-State Issues in America Today: Religious Convictions and Practices in Public Life. Westport, CT:  Praeger Press, 2008. 115-139.  (with Eric Matthews*).

 “The Racial Basis of Welfare Reform.” In S. Schram, J. Soss, and R. Fording, eds. 2006. The Hard Line and the Color Line:  Race, Welfare, and the Roots of Get-Tough Reform. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 2003. 225-253. (with Joe Soss, Sanford Schram, and Tom Vartanian). 

“Campaigning With the Internet:  The View from the Bottom.”  In J. Thurber and C. Nelson eds.  Campaigns and Elections American Style. Second Edition. Boulder, CO:  Westview Press, 2004. 173-194. (with David Dulio). 

Securing Fair Elections: Challenges to Voting in the United States and Georgia.  December 2019. 

Commissioned by Fair Fight (group launched by Stacey Abrams).  Scholars Strategy Network. Cambridge, MA. 28 pages. Contributing Scholar.

-        Guest on extended segment for NPR GBH’s “Under the Radar” on report. January 10, 2020.

“Will Massachusetts Finally Pass Reforms to Make Voting Easier and More Equal?” January 2012. Basic Facts Brief, Scholars Strategy Network. (with Avi Green)

“Convincing Evidence that States Aim to Suppress Minority Voters.”  September 2013. Key Findings. Scholars Strategy Network, Harvard University.  (with Keith Bentele) 

“Evaluation Report:  Moving from Debts to Assets.”  2012.  Center for Social Policy. Boston, MA, UMass Boston  (with Donna Haig Friedman,  Ghazal Zulfiqar, Rachel Drew, and Wanjiku Mwangi).  

“An Assessment of the Quality, Affordability, and Accessibility of Child Day Care in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”  Report Contracted and Prepared for The Department of Social Services, Commonwealth of Virginia. 184 pages. (with Scott Nystrom and Mark Crain).

 “Women and Leadership.” 2017.  In F. Moghaddam, ed.  The SAGE Encyclopedia of Political Behavior.  Sage Press. (with Michele Tolson*). 3264 words.

Latinos in the Legislative Process:  Interests and Influence.  (Cambridge University Press, 2013).   By Stella M. Rouse.  & The Most Fundamental Right:  Contrasting Perspectives on the Voting Rights Act.  (Indiana University Press, 2012). Edited by Daniel McCool.  2014.  12: 750-2.  Perspectives on Politics.  

“Women’s Leadership in Their Communities.”  2011. In Karen O’Connor, ed. Gender and Women’s Leadership.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Sage Publications.  41-50. (with Jennifer Shea*).

The Future of Democratic Equality: Rebuilding Social Solidarity in a Fragmented America.  (Routledge Press). Joseph M. Schwartz.  2009.  Perspectives on Politics.  7(4): 972-974.

All in the Family:  The Private Roots of American Public Policy.  (Stanford University Press).  Patricia Strach.  2008.  Journal of Politics.  70(2):  570-572. 

I Do Solemnly Swear:  The President’s Constitutional Oath.  Its Meaning and Importance in the History of Oaths.  2004.  By Matthew Pauley.  White House Studies,  4(1):  117-119.  

Op-Eds and Commentary Pieces

• "Seeds of discontent with Massachusetts exceptionalism." CommonWealth Beacon. November 6, 2023. 

• "'Unmute' the Votes of Boston's Young People." Commonwealth Magazine. July 27, 2021. (with Aaron Rosenthal). 

• “More Women in the Legislature Means Better Legislation For All.” Editorial with Former State Rep. and CEO of MA Planned Parenthood Marty Walz. Patriot Ledger. June 18, 2016.

• “Three Female Scholars React To Hillary Clinton’s Nomination.” The Conversation. June 7, 2016. Run by: Time Motto, Time.com

• “Opinion: Why Hasn’t Elizabeth Warren Taken Sides?” Newsweek. March 7, 2016.

• “Opinion: Why Hasn’t Elizabeth Warren Taken Sides?” Newsweek Europe. March 7, 2016.

• “Elizabeth Warren is Savvy Not To Endorse Clinton or Sanders.” The Conversation. February 29, 2016.

• “What It Means Now That SCOTUS Has Dumped 'Aggregate Limits'” Talking Point Café. April 4, 2014. (with Avi Green).

• “Hey, Bay Staters, We’re Number 42!” Editorial. The Cape Cod Times. January 30, 2014.

• “On Voting, Nothing to Brag About” Guest Editorial. The MetroWest Daily News. Framingham, MA. January 26, 2014. 

- The Patriot Ledger. Quincy, MA. January 25, 2014. 

- The Enterprise. Brockton, MA. January, 25, 2014.

• “States with Higher Black Turnout are More Likely to Restrict Voting.” December 17, 2013. The Washington Post. The Monkey Cage. (with Keith Bentele).

• “Convincing Evidence that States Aim to Suppress Minority Voters.” September 2013. SSN Key Findings. Scholars Strategy Network, Harvard University. (with Keith Bentele). 

• “Evaluation Report: Moving from Debts to Assets.” 2012. Center for Social Policy. Boston, MA: University of Massachusetts Boston. (with Donna Haig Friedman, Ghazal Zulfiqar, Rachel Drew, and Wanjiku Mwangi). 

• “September 11, 2001 and Public Opinion: A Commentary.” In Nawal Ammar, ed. Democracy and Homeland Security: Strategies, Controversies, and Impact. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 2006. 

• “Social Welfare: Contemporary American Opinions and Attitudes.” In Gwendolyn Mink and Alice O'Connor, eds. Poverty and Social Welfare: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 2004, 601-605. (with Joe Soss). 

• “The High Cost of Bush’s War.” September 14, 2003. Forum Page. Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

• “Where Do Voters Get Their Political Information?” April 2001. Campaigns & Elections. 22(2): 9-12. (with James Thurber and David Dulio). 

Entries at MassPoliticsProfs including:

• Matt Gaetz and the Red Popsicle Approach to “Governing.”

• What Senator Dianne Feinstein Meant to Girls Like Me.

• The Enviable Values of John Fetterman and Coach Corso.

• America the Spoiled

• Running in Massachusetts During COVID-19: Public Health vs. Appearing on the Ballot (with Shannon Jenkins)

• Quit Your Writing Lady Senator.  

• The World Series Of #Mapoli: Curt Schilling Vs. Elizabeth Warren For Senate In 2018

• Bernie and Phyl:  Quality, Comfort, Price ...and an Electoral Hoax

• Will Warren Be Enough? 

• HRC:  It Had to Be This Way

• More Massachusetts, Less Jersey:  Donald Trump and Republican Governors in Blue States.

• Our Unrepresentatively Representative Iowa Caucuses.

• Globe Delivery Debacle is a Labor Debacle

• Fear and Intimidation are Nothing New at Planned Parenthood

• Bay State's Dirty Secret:  Blockheads are Alive and Well

• Boston 2024's Board of Directors is So 90210

• 7 Worse Problems for the NFL than Deflategate

"Welfare Policy Choices in the States: Does the Hard Line Follow the Color Line?” (with Joe Soss, Sanford Schram, and Tom Vartanian). Reprint in Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government. 2009. New York: Pearson-Longman. David A. Dulio, Erin E. O’Brien, and John Klemanski eds. 39-46.

“The Double-Edged Sword of Women’s Organizing: Poverty and the Emergence of Racial and Class Differences in Women’s Policy Priorities.” Reprint in Diversity in Contemporary American Politics and Government. 2009. New York: Pearson-Longman. David A. Dulio, Erin E. O’Brien, and John Klemanski eds. 119-126.