• Ph.D., Washington University in St. Louis 2007, Political Science
• A.M., Washington University in St. Louis 2003, Political Science
• B.S., Baker University 1998, Economics

His research focuses on American politics, Congress, intra-branch politics and quantitative methods and has appeared in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Politics, Political Analysis, and Legislative Studies Quarterly.  His published work generally examines the effects that rules and institutions have on which policies are possible in United States lawmaking.

He teaches undergraduate courses on a variety of American politics topics and teaches graduate courses on legislative politics and quantitative methods.

• Patrick J. Fett Award (MPSA best paper on the scientific study of Congress and the presidency). 2019.
• National Science Foundation Grant. “How Social Security Administration Appeals Fare in the Federal Trial Court.” SES-1626932. With Christina L. Boyd and Scott H. Ainsworth. 2016–2019.
• Susette M. Talarico Award for Excellence in Teaching 2014-2015
• Kansas University Celebration of Teaching Honoree, Graduate Teaching 2011

• American Politics
• Congressional Politics
• Inter-branch Politics
• Quantitative Methods
• Formal Theory
• Spatial Voting Theory
• Public Choice Theory

• New Directions in Congressional Politics, 2nd Edition. 2020. Routledge Press. Co-edited with Jamie L. Carson.
• “The Cost of Majority Party Bias: Amending Activity Under Structured Rules.” 2016.  Legislative Studies Quarterly. 41: 633-655. With Anthony J. Madonna and Jason M. Roberts.
• “Partisan Agenda Control and the Dimensionality of Congress.” 2014.  American Politics Research. 42:600-627. With Keith L. Dougherty and Anthony J. Madonna.
• “Partisan Brand Name Building and Deficit Politics: Examining the Role of Minority Status on Issue Consistency.” 2013.   Journal of Public Policy. 33: 319-344. With Anthony J. Madonna.
• “Viva Voce: Implications of the Disappearing Voice Vote, 1865-1996.”  2013.  Social Science Quarterly. 94:530-550. With Anthony J. Madonna.
• “Winning Coalition Formation in the House and Senate: Examining the Effect of Institutional Change on Major Legislation.”  2011.  Journal of Politics.  73:1225-1238.  With Jamie L. Carson and Anthony J. Madonna.
• “Constrained Instability of Majority Rule: Experiments on the Robustness of the Uncovered Set.” 2008. Political Analysis. 16:115-137.  With William T. Bianco, Gary J. Miller, and Itai Sened.
• “Adding Recess Appointments to the President’s “Tool Chest” of Unilateral Powers.” 2007. Political Research Quarterly. 60:645-654.  With Ryan C. Black, Anthony J. Madonna, and Ryan J. Owens.
• “A Theory Waiting to be Discovered and Used: A Reanalysis of Canonical Experiments on Majority Rule Decisionmaking.” 2006.  Journal of Politics. 68:838-851. With William T. Bianco, Gary J. Miller, and Itai Sened.