Matthew Levendusky

Matthew Levendusky is a Professor of Political Science and the Stephen and Mary Baran Chair in the Institutions of Democracy at the Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania. He leads the Institutions of Democracy division and holds a courtesy appointment at the Annenberg School for Communication.

• Ph.D., Stanford University (2006)
• B.A., Pennsylvania State University (2001)

His research examines how political institutions and elites shape citizen behavior, focusing on mass polarization, partisan media, and strategies to reduce intergroup hostility. Recent work includes studies on cancel culture dynamics, pandemic responses influenced by partisanship, and the legitimacy of democratic institutions.

Key publications include Democracy Amid Crises (2023, co-authored), Our Common Bonds (2023), and We Need to Talk (2021, co-authored). His work appears in top journals like American Journal of Political Science, Science Advances, and Nature: Human Behaviour.

• 2011 Jewell-Lowenberg Award
• 2013 Journal of Politics Best Paper Award
• 2022 Rebecca Morton Award
• 2025 Guggenheim Fellow

Levendusky also serves as a decision desk analyst for NBC News (2014–2024) and contributes to media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His research bridges political science, communication studies, and behavioral experiments.