Michael J. Nelson | Lightnews

Michael Nelson

@mjnelson.bsky.social

850 followers 860 following 60 posts

Political Scientist and Dept. Head @ Penn State. Courts, judicial legitimacy, state politics.

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Michael Nelson is an American political scientist, noted for his work on the Presidency and elections. He is a Fulmer Professor of Political Science at Rhodes College.

Source: Wikipedia

Law 40%

Economics 27%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson, Chris Hanretty

Tom Clark @tomsclark.bsky.social · 25d

Come work at Stanford! I'm hiring a post-doc who will work with me on projects about prosecutors and trial courts in the US. Feel free to contact me with any questions, or apply here: hoover.smapply.us/prog/postdoc...

Postdoctoral Fellowship at Hoover Institution, Stanford University – Tom Clark - Hoover Apply

hoover.smapply.us

Reposted by Tom Clark, Michael J. Nelson, Victor Asal

American Journal of Political Science (AJPS) @ajpseditor.bsky.social · 28d

Reviewing fast or slow: A theory of summary reversal in the judicial hierarchy by Alexander V. Hirsch, Jonathan P. Kastellec, and Anthony R. Taboni is now available in Early View. @jkastellec.bsky.social @anthonytaboni.bsky.social ajps.org/2026/01/09/r...

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson, Justin H. Kirkland

Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · 28d

As rights protections across the states diverge people may relocate to pursue more rights.

@mjnelson.bsky.social and I find abortion rights spur moves and this very interesting report shows that attacks on LGBT rights are also interstate spurring migration.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · 28d

Just in time for your State Politics grad seminar, Berkman, Herlihy and I have some data on the development of the State Politics subfield (and SPPQ) over the past 65 years!

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 28d

#OpenAccess from State Politics & Policy Quarterly -

SPPQ and the Development of the State Politics Subfield - https://cup.org/4bqcCM7

- Michael B. Berkman, Morrgan T. Herlihy & @mjnelson.bsky.social

#FirstView

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · 28d

Reposted by David Lazer, Michael J. Nelson, Erika Franklin Fowler , and 5 more David Lazer, Michael J. Nelson, Erika Franklin Fowler, Robert C. Richards, Aaron Sojourner, Nazita Lajevardi, Michael Jones‐Correa, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · Jan 6

🚨 the best state policy & public opinion database is now online. ~200 (!!!) state policies and 80 public opinion series on abortion, labor, taxes, environment, guns, education…

dynamicdemocracy.shinyapps.io

Massive public goods provision from @devincaughey.bsky.social & @chriswarshaw.bsky.social

Welcome to the Dynamic Democracy App
This app lets you manipulate, explore, and download the Dynamic Democracy datasets with information on state policies and public opinion assembled by Devin Caughey and Chris Warshaw. Click on the triangle next to each category for more details.
• State Policies: This dataset includes information on approximately 200 policies in place in at least one state between 1936 and 2024.
• State Policy Ideology : Measures summarizing aggregate policy outputs in each state/year between 1936-2024.
• Public Opinion: Measures summarizing state publics views on approximately 80 issues, covering 1936-2024.
• Mass Ideology.: Measures of state publics' economic and cultural ideological preferences, 1936-2021.
• Policy Proximity.: Measures of how closely state policies match public preferences.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Michael J. Nelson, Caroline Krafft , and 5 more Anna O. Law, Michael J. Nelson, Caroline Krafft, Justin H. Kirkland, Peter K. Enns, Hannah Walker, David Darmofal, Ariel White

Allison P. Harris @allipatter.bsky.social · Dec 17

I’m hiring a predoctoral fellow for the 2026-2027 AY with possibility of a second year. This is a great position for someone interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or who wants more hands-on experience doing research. Please apply/share! Happy to answer questions!

tobin.yale.edu/opportunitie...

CSAP Predoc: Polarization and Inequality in the U.S. Criminal Legal System

tobin.yale.edu

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Dec 11

Penn State published a nice article on my recent book with Amanda Driscoll and Jay Krehbiel about the public's support for the rule of law and why it matters: www.psu.edu/news/liberal...

Professor’s new book examines public perceptions of independent courts | Penn State University

Michael J. Nelson, professor and head of the Department of Political Science in Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts, is the co-author of the new book, “The Efficacy of Judicial Review: The Rule o...

www.psu.edu

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson

Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · Dec 1

Doctors are less likely to want a residency in states with abortion bans per research with @mjnelson.bsky.social

Studies we cite shows high achieving women don’t want to go to college in states with bans.

It goes beyond bans of course. Brain drain is real.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson, Philip N. Cohen, Jacob Montgomery , and 3 more Michael J. Nelson, Philip N. Cohen, Jacob Montgomery, Karen Benjamin Guzzo, David R. Miller, William Myers

Big Data Kane @cmwitko.bsky.social · Nov 18

A new article with @mjnelson.bsky.social in PRQ, using a conjoint, CPS ASES and medical residency application data, finds that abortion bans make states less desirable places to live for young women, college graduates and doctors.

This law is more extreme.

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Reposted by Jim Kelly, Michael J. Nelson, Robert Huber

British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Nov 13

NEW -

Leveling and Spotlighting: How the European Court of Justice Favors the Weak to Promote Its Legitimacy - https://cup.org/4oWD6ZT

- @silje-hermansen.bsky.social, @tommasopavone.bsky.social & @louisabo.bsky.social

#OpenAccess

BJPolS abstract discussing the impact of international courts like the European Court of Justice on individual rights and civil society, highlighting their role in promoting legal claims and supporting networks.

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Oct 26

The full job posting is available here: psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/PSU_Academic...

Washington DC Program Coordinator & Assistant Teaching Professor of Political Science

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, a...

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Oct 26

This is a great opportunity for someone passionate about connecting students to careers in politics, policy, and public service. The position combines teaching, mentorship, and program leadership.

Reposted by Sona Golder

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Oct 26

Penn State Political Science is launching a new Semester in Washington program and we’re hiring a full-time on-site coordinator for the program, based permanently in Washington, D.C.

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Oct 23

SPPC 2026 will be held in Chicago and has a website: www.luc.edu/politicalsci.... Hope to see you there!

: Loyola University Chicago

www.luc.edu

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson

British Journal of Political Science @bjpols.bsky.social · Oct 10

NEW -

Trust in the Judiciary and Partisan Reactions to Judicial Checks: Evidence from Argentina - https://cup.org/42BRe1j

"judicial checks expose citizens to information that is primarily instrumental"

- Martín Gandur

#FirstView

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · Sep 30

#OpenAccess from @apsrjournal.bsky.social -

The Path of Law: Legal Uncertainty and Issues of First Impression in the U.S. Courts of Appeals - https://cup.org/42XsrF0

- @anthonytaboni.bsky.social

#FirstView

Banner with the hashtag #OpenAccess on a green background above the name 'American Political Science Review' on a blue background.

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Sep 24

(To do the magic trick, start with a regular deck and have different students draw samples and talk about sampling variation. Then switch decks at the podium to the all red deck)

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Sep 24

That’s Day 2! Weeks ago!

Reposted by Jon H. Fiva

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Sep 24

Taught intro to hypothesis testing today in undergrad stats for the first time in a while and this activity is undefeated for giving the intuition for hypothesis testing: jse.amstat.org/v2n1/eckert..... Plus you can do it as a magic trick which makes it fun.

Journal of Statistics Education, V2N1: Eckert

jse.amstat.org

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson, Efrén O. Pérez, Scott Clifford , and 4 more Michael J. Nelson, Efrén O. Pérez, Scott Clifford, Flávio Azevedo, David R. Miller, Nathan P. Kalmoe, David Darmofal

Nick Davis @ntd.bsky.social · Sep 14

colleagues in political science. the formal update to the Garand and Giles journal ranking survey is now live. many of you will receive an email momentarily inviting you to participate. in the event you do NOT receive an invitation, please see this website to self-enroll. thanks! sharing = caring!

Participating

The Evaluation of Publication in Political Research study is open to serious producers and consumers of political research, including faculty in institutions of higher education, doctoral students,…

eppr.study

Michael Nelson @mjnelson.bsky.social · Sep 13

More than you've ever wanted to know about the consequences executives face for defying courts, available for 20% off with discount code TEJR2025 at www.cambridge.org/core/books/e...!

Reposted by Michael J. Nelson

Christopher Zorn @prisonrodeo.bsky.social · Sep 9

JOB:

psu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/PSU_Ac...