Dennis Chong

Dennis Chong is Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Southern California. His research focuses on American national politics, decision-making processes, public opinion dynamics, and the theoretical underpinnings of collective action. He has authored seminal works including Rational Lives (2000) and Collective Action and the Civil Rights Movement (1991). His recent scholarship explores party cue influence, free expression norms, and political mobilization strategies across authoritarian and democratic contexts. Chong has held leadership roles as department chair since 2012 and serves as Book Series Editor for Cambridge University Press' Studies in Public Opinion and Political Psychology series.

• Education: Implied doctoral training in political science

Primary research areas integrate political psychology with institutional analysis, examining how individual and group behaviors shape political outcomes. His work bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical studies of social change, conflict resolution, and normative governance. Recent publications demonstrate sustained engagement with framing effects, partisan communication, and cross-national political behavior comparisons.