Bio


Brandice Canes-Wrone is a professor in the political science department and a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford. She is also the director of the Center for Revitalizing American Institutions. Her current research focuses on representation and accountability, including projects on elections, campaign finance, and representation.

During the course of her career, Canes-Wrone has published numerous articles and books in the areas of political institutions, mass political behavior, and political economy. On political institutions, she has a longstanding interest in executive politics. Her book Who Leads Whom? Presidents, Policy, and Public (University of Chicago, 2006) was awarded the Richard E. Neustadt prize by the American Political Science Association for the best book on the US presidency that year. More recent scholarship involves comparative analysis of how institutional constraints on the executive are associated with economic performance.

Other current research focuses on accountability and representation in the US context. She coedited Accountability Reconsidered: Voters, Interests, and Information in US Policymaking (Cambridge University Press, 2023) with Chuck Cameron, Sandy Gordon, and Greg Huber, and in this volume she and Michael Kistner examine how changes in the US local media are associated with developments in congressional electoral accountability. Additionally, she has a series of recent publications on campaign finance, including on the motivations of campaign donors (with Michael Barber and Sharece Thrower) congressional members’ responsiveness to donors (with Kenneth Miller, and in separate work, Nathan Gibson), and comparing the attitudes of donors to other constituencies (with Michael Barber, Josh Clinton, and Greg Huber).

Canes-Wrone is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served on the editorial boards of numerous political science and political economy journals. She has also served on the boards of the American National Elections Studies, the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, and the Presidents and Executive Politics Section of the American Political Science Association, including as President of this section.

Prior to joining the Stanford faculty, Canes-Wrone was on the faculties of MIT, Northwestern, and Princeton. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Princeton and a PhD from Stanford.

Academic Appointments


Administrative Appointments


  • Director, Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, Princeton University (2016 - 2022)
  • Vice Dean, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University (2015 - 2019)
  • Acting Vice Dean, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University (2012 - 2013)

Honors & Awards


  • Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2016-)
  • Member, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton (2013-14)
  • Winner, Richard E. Neustadt Award, American Political Science Association (2007)
  • Winner, Patrick Fett Award, Midwest Political Science Association (1997)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy (2020 - Present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Congress and the Presidency (2008 - Present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Public Choice (2004 - Present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Presidential Studies Quarterly (2003 - Present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Politics (2014 - 2018)
  • Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Political Science (2006 - 2014)
  • Member, Task Force on Electoral Reform (2021 - Present)
  • Scientific Council Member, Institute for Advanced Study, Toulouse (2017 - Present)
  • President, Presidency and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science Association (2015 - 2016)
  • Vice President, Presidency and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science Association (2014 - 2015)
  • Secretary/Treasurer, Presidency and Executive Politics Section, American Political Science Association (2013 - 2014)
  • Council Member, Political Economy Section, American Political Science Association (2008 - 2011)
  • Board Member, American National Election Studies (2005 - 2014)

Professional Education


  • PHD, Stanford University, Political Economics (1998)
  • AB, Princeton University, Economics (1993)
  • Certificate, Princeton University, Political Economy (1993)
  • Certificate, Princeton University, Music Performance (1993)

Current Research and Scholarly Interests


Canes-Wrone, Brandice, Jonathan T. Rothwell, and Christos Makridis. "Partisanship and Policy on an Emerging Issue: Mass and Elite Responses to COVID-19 as the Pandemic Evolved."

Canes-Wrone, Brandice, Christian Ponce de Leon, and Sebastian Thieme. "Investment, Electoral Cycles, and Institutional Constraints in Developing Democracies."

Barber, Michael J., Brandice Canes-Wrone, Joshua Clinton, and Gregory Huber. "
“How Distinct are Campaign Donors’ Preferences? A Comparison of Donors to the Affluent and General US Populations.” (in progress)

Barber, Michael J., and Brandice Canes-Wrone. "Validity of Self-Reported Donating Behavior." (in progress)

Canes-Wrone, Brandice, Christian Ponce de Leon, and Sebastian Thieme. "Institutional Constraints of the European Union and Opportunistic Business Cycles." (in progress)

Canes-Wrone, Brandice, Tom S. Clark, Amy Semet, and Sebastian Thieme. “Campaign Contributions and Judicial Independence in the US State Supreme Courts.” (in progress)

2023-24 Courses


Stanford Advisees


All Publications


  • Accountability and Representation? Voters, Interests, and Information in US Policymaking edited by Cameron, C. C., Canes-Wrone, B., Gordon , S., Huber, G. A. Cambridge University Press. 2023
  • Local Newspapers and Ideological Accountability in US House Elections Accountability and Representation? Voters, Interests, and Information in US Policymaking Canes-Wrone, B., Kistner, M. R. edited by Cameron, C. C., Canes-Wrone, B., Gordon, S., Huber, G. A. Cambridge University Press. 2023
  • Out of Step and Still in Office? Electoral Consequences of Incumbent and Challenger Positioning Across Time Quarterly Journal of Political Science Canes-Wrone, B., Kistner, M. R. 2022; 17 (3): 389-420
  • Out-of-District Donors and Representation in the US House LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY Canes-Wrone, B., Miller, K. M. 2022; 47 (2): 361-395

    View details for DOI 10.1111/lsq.12336

    View details for Web of Science ID 000636279900001

  • Foreign direct investment screening and congressional backlash politics in the United States BRITISH JOURNAL OF POLITICS & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Canes-Wrone, B., Mattioli, L., Meunier, S. 2020; 22 (4): 666-678
  • Campaign Contributions and Donors' Policy Agreement with Presidential Candidates PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY Barber, M., Canes-Wrone, B., Thrower, S. 2019; 49 (4): 770-797

    View details for DOI 10.1111/psq.12609

    View details for Web of Science ID 000493509900001

  • Developments in Congressional Responsiveness to Donor OpinionY Canes-Wrone, B., Gibson, N., Lee, F. E., McCarty, N. CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS. 2019: 69-92
  • Does Money Buy Congressional Love? Congress and the Presidency Canes-Wrone, B., Gibson, N. 2019; 46 (1): 1-27
  • Judicial Elections, Public Opinion, and Decisions on Lower-Salience Issues Canes-Wrone, B., Clark, T. S., Semet, A. WILEY. 2018: 672-707

    View details for DOI 10.1111/jels.12196

    View details for Web of Science ID 000449668500002

  • Ideologically Sophisticated Donors: Which Candidates Do Individual Contributors Finance? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Barber, M. J., Canes-Wrone, B., Thrower, S. 2017; 61 (2): 271-288

    View details for DOI 10.1111/ajps.12275

    View details for Web of Science ID 000398582100002

  • MEASURING THE CHILLING EFFECT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY LAW REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Dorf, M. C. 2015; 90 (4): 1095-1114
  • From Mass Preferences to Policy Annual Review of Political Science Canes-Wrone, B. 2015; 18: 147-65
  • Why Has US Policy Uncertainty Risen Since 1960? AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW Baker, S. R., Bloom, N., Canes-Wrone, B., Davis, S. J., Rodden, J. 2014; 104 (5): 56-60
  • Judicial Selection and Death Penalty Decisions AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Clark, T. S., Kelly, J. P. 2014; 108 (1): 23-39
  • Elections, Uncertainty and Irreversible Investment BRITISH JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Canes-Wrone, B., Park, J. 2014; 44 (1): 83-106
  • The Obama Presidency, Public Position-Taking, and Mass Opinion POLITY Canes-Wrone, B., Kelly, J. P. 2013; 45 (1): 85-104
  • Judicial Independence and Retention Elections JOURNAL OF LAW ECONOMICS & ORGANIZATION Canes-Wrone, B., Clark, T. S., Park, J. 2012; 28 (2): 211-234
  • Electoral Business Cycles in OECD Countries AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Park, J. 2012; 106 (1): 103-122
  • Issue Accountability and the Mass Public LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY Canes-Wrone, B., Minozzi, W., Reveley, J. 2011; 36 (1): 5-35
  • OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES IN PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS PRESIDENCY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Canes-Wrone, B., Dunn, C. W. 2011: 101-120
  • Administrative Politics and the Public Presidency PRESIDENTIAL STUDIES QUARTERLY Canes-Wrone, B. 2009; 39 (1): 25-37
  • Partisan Labels and Democratic Accountability: An Analysis of State Supreme Court Abortion Decisions Journal of Politics Caldarone, R., Canes-Wrone, B., Clark, T. S. 2009; 29 (2): 560-573
  • Game Theory and the Study of the American Presidency Oxford Handbook on the American Presidency Canes-Wrone, B. edited by Edwards, III, G. C., Howell, W. Oxford University Press. 2009: 30-51
  • JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE AND NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS WISCONSIN LAW REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Clark, T. S. 2009: 21-65
  • Toward a broader understanding of presidential power: A reevaluation of the two presidencies thesis JOURNAL OF POLITICS Canes-Wrone, B., Howell, W. G., Lewis, D. E. 2008; 70 (1): 1-16
  • When do elections encourage ideological rigidity? AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Shotts, K. W. 2007; 101 (2): 273-288
  • Who Parties? Floor Voting, District Ideology, and Electoral Margins Party, Process, and Political Change in Congress Canes-Wrone, B., Rabinovich, J., Volden, C. edited by Brady, D. W., McCubbins, M. D. Stanford University Press. 2007
  • Who Leads Whom? Presidents, Policy, and the Public Canes-Wrone, B. University of Chicago Press. 2006
  • The Influence of Congress and the Courts over the Bureaucracy: An Analysis of Wetlands Policy The Macropolitics of Congress Canes-Wrone, B., Lapinski, J. S. edited by Adler, E. S. Princeton University Press. 2006: 195-210
  • The conditional nature of presidential responsiveness to public opinion AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Canes-Wrone, B., Shotts, K. W. 2004; 48 (4): 690-706
  • The Public Presidency, Personal Approval Ratings, and Policy Making Presidential Studies Quarterly Canes-Wrone, B. 2004; 34 (3): 477-492
  • Bureaucratic decisions and the composition of the lower courts AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Canes-Wrone, B. 2003; 47 (2): 205-214

    View details for DOI 10.2307/3186133

    View details for Web of Science ID 000182896300001

  • Presidential approval and legislative success JOURNAL OF POLITICS Canes-Wrone, B., de Marchi, S. 2002; 64 (2): 491-509
  • Out of step, out of office: Electoral accountability and house members' voting AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW Canes-Wrone, B., Brady, D. W., Cogan, J. F. 2002; 96 (1): 127-140
  • Leadership and pandering: A theory of executive policymaking AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Canes-Wrone, B., Herron, M. C., Shotts, K. W. 2001; 45 (3): 532-550

    View details for DOI 10.2307/2669237

    View details for Web of Science ID 000169584500004

  • The president's legislative influence from public appeals AMERICAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Canes-Wrone, B. 2001; 45 (2): 313-329

    View details for DOI 10.2307/2669343

    View details for Web of Science ID 000167501500005

  • A theory of presidents' public agenda setting JOURNAL OF THEORETICAL POLITICS Canes-Wrone, B. 2001; 13 (2): 183-208
  • Differences in Legislative Voting Behavior between Winning and Losing House Incumbents Continuity and Change in House Elections Brady, D. W., Canes-Wrone, B., Cogan, J. F. edited by Brady, D. W., Cogan, J. F., Fiorina, M. P. Stanford University Press. 2000: 178-92
  • FOLLOWING IN HER FOOTSTEPS - FACULTY GENDER COMPOSITION AND WOMENS CHOICES OF COLLEGE MAJORS INDUSTRIAL & LABOR RELATIONS REVIEW CANES, B. J., Rosen, H. S. 1995; 48 (3): 486-504