Adam Myers

I am a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Texas at Austin. My primary subfield is American politics, with research interests in the areas of legislative politics, state politics, public policy, political parties, campaigns and elections, and public opinion. 

My dissertation examines the role that geographical cleavages play in impacting politics within contemporary American state legislatures. Informed by studies linking patterns of social conflict within the electorate to levels of party conflict in the U.S. Congress, my study explores the nature and extent of the relationship between social cleavages and legislative outcomes in the American states from 1993 until today. As a part of my research, I have collected extensive demographic and geographic data on state legislative districts between 1993 and today. I use these data to examine changes in the geographic bases of state legislative parties and to assess the role of political geography in contributing to legislative outcomes, including levels of partisan polarization and the formation of distinct policy coalitions.

My research as a graduate student has resulted in two publications: a forthcoming article in the journal Electoral Studies, as well as a co-authored article in the journal American Politics Research. 

In addition to my own research, I have also engaged in a variety of additional projects as a graduate student. Between 2008 and 2011, I served as the Senior Data Analyst on the University of Texas Statewide Poll, a unique effort to gather public opinion among Texas residents.  Along with helping to oversee the execution of the poll, I periodically wrote analyses concerning our findings for the Texas Tribune, an online newsmagazine with a wide readership among individuals involved in Texas public affairs.

During the 2012 year, I am working as the political editor for the survey research firm YouGov in Palo Alto, CA.