David L. Leal

Interests

Biography

My primary academic interest is Latino politics.  My goal is to understand how Latino individuals and communities shape – and are shaped by – politics in the United States.  Because these are complex and multifaceted dynamics, my research spans the fields of political behavior, public opinion, and public policy.  For example, I study the unique factors structuring Latino political engagement; how Latinos influence public policy outcomes; and whether Latino opinion is fundamentally different from that of other groups.  My publications include over forty journal articles and book chapters as well as several co-edited volumes.

Activities
• Member, Editorial Board, American Politics Research, Social Science Quarterly, and State Politics & Policy Quarterly
• 2006-2008: Member, American Political Science Association (APSA) Task Force on Religion and Democracy in the United States
• 2004-2006: Co-Chair, APSA Committee on the Status of Latinos y Latinas in the Profession
• 2002-2004: National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow
• 1998-99: APSA Congressional Fellow

Recent Publications
• Forthcoming. “Religion in Latino Political and Civic Lives.” In Ira Katznelson and Alan Wolfe (Eds.), Religion and Democracy in the United States: Danger or Opportunity? Princeton and New York: Princeton University Press and Russell Sage Foundation.
• Forthcoming. Rodolfo O. de la Garza, Louis DeSipio, and David L. Leal (Eds.). Beyond the Barrio: Latinos and the 2004 Elections. South Bend: University of Notre Dame Press.
• 2009. James A. McCann, Wayne A. Cornelius, and David L. Leal. “Absentee Voting and Transnational Civic Engagement among Mexican Expatriates.” In Jorge I. Domínguez, Chappell Lawson, and Alejandro Moreno (Eds.), Consolidating Mexico's Democracy: The 2006 Presidential Campaign in Comparative Perspective. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 
• 2008. David L. Leal. Stephen A. Nuño, Jongho Lee, and Rodolfo O. de la Garza. “Latinos, Immigration, and the 2006 Midterm Elections.” PS: Political Science & Politics, v41: 309-317.
• 2008. Terri E. Givens, Gary P. Freeman, and David L. Leal (Eds.). Immigration Policy and Security: US, European, and Commonwealth Perspectives. New York: Routledge.
• 2007. Rodolfo Espino, David L. Leal, and Kenneth J. Meier (Eds.). Latino Politics: Identity, Mobilization, and Representation. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. 
• 2007. Matt A. Barreto and David L. Leal. “Latinos, Military Service, and Support for Bush and Kerry in 2004.” American Politics Research, v35: 224-251.
• 2007. “Latinos, Religion, and the 2004 Presidential Election.” In David E. Campbell (Ed.), A Matter of Faith? Religion in the 2004 Presidential Election. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.

Recent Presentations and Talks
• “The Latino Vote in U.S. Presidential Elections: Past, Present, and Future.” Munk Centre for International Studies, University of Toronto, October 29, 2009; Rothermere American Institute, Oxford University, March 4, 2009.
• “Veterans and Income: Is there a Penalty for Military Service?" with Curt Nichols and Jeremy Teigen. Paper presented at the 2009 Biennial International Conference of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces & Society. October 23-25, Chicago, IL.
• “Transnational Political Engagement and the Civic Incorporation of Mexican Immigrants in the United States.” Paper presented at Mexico Week, London School of Economics, March 3, 2009 (paper co-authored with James McCann and Wayne Cornelius).
• “New Immigrant Groups and Social Cohesion: The U.S. Case.” Paper presented at the conference “Nations of Immigrants: Australia and the USA.” Prato, Italy, October 19-21, 2008.
• Roundtable Participant: “Challenging North American Borders: Security & Immigration.” Annual Policy Conference of the Network on North American Studies in Canada, “North American Issues: Designing Institutions, Choosing Policies.” University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, March 13-15, 2008.
• “Pointless: On the Failure to Adopt an Immigration Points System in the United States,” with Gary P. Freeman and Jake Onyett. Paper presented at the Workshop on Highly Skilled Immigration Policy. University of Toronto, School of Public Policy and Governance and Department of Political Science. Toronto, ON, Canada, February 8, 2008.

NIH Biosketch