Paul Lendway

Bio

The norms and rules that comprise American democracy are eroding. Why? What are the consequences of this trend? And what can be done to address this issue? My research program aims to address these questions. One stream of my research investigates how various forms of political communication (i.e., sermon rhetoric, populist appeals, etc.) shape political preferences. Another strand of my research probes the role of information (i.e., information about social movements or inequality) in structuring public opinion and policy preferences. A final line of my research explores solutions to mass polarization. This includes a project that tests Americans' willingness to compromise on a series of multi-dimensional policy tradeoffs (i.e., a conservative immigration policy and a liberal abortion policy, etc.).

My research is published in Political Behavior, American Politics Research, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, and Environmental Politics. My co-authored paper that meta-analyzes the literature on populist appeals and vote choice has a R&R at the American Journal of Political Science. Additionally, my research on sermon rhetoric and White evangelical support for the Republican Party has an R&R at Political Behavior. I have presented my research at a wide range of organizations, including the American Political Science Association, Harvard University, Princeton University, and Yale University. Funding for my research has been provided by the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University, and other organizations.

Stanford Advisors

• Josiah Ober, Postdoctoral Faculty Sponsor