Joel W. Johnson

Joel W. Johnson is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Colorado State University Pueblo. He holds a PhD from the University of California, San Diego (2009). His research focuses on political institutions and political economy in both developed and developing democracies, with particular emphasis on fiscal politics, electoral systems, and corruption perceptions. He is the author of the book Political Economy of the United States (Routledge, 2018), which examines the co-evolution of political and economic systems since the 1970s, including the impacts of federal policies on income inequality and partisan polarization.

Johnson’s work bridges theoretical analysis with historical context, exploring topics such as government spending cycles, campaign finance dynamics in proportional electoral systems, and anti-corruption mechanisms in Latin American democracies. His contributions have been published in journals like Comparative Political Studies and Electoral Studies. He has also contributed to edited volumes analyzing contemporary political economy challenges.