Matthew P. Hitt

Matthew P. Hitt is an Associate Professor at Colorado State University, affiliated with the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences and Political Science Department. He holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University (2014) and a B.A. from Colorado State University (2007).

• Ph.D., The Ohio State University (2014)
• B.A., Colorado State University (2007)

Hitt specializes in judgment and decision-making in American politics, focusing on elite institutions like Congress, the judiciary, and media. His methodological expertise includes time series analysis, causal inference, event history analysis, game theory, and network analysis. Research examines how institutional and external factors influence collective political choices.

Recent publications address Supreme Court ethics, polarization, media effects, and decision-making under political risk. His work spans journals like American Journal of Political Science, Scientific Reports, and Energy Policy, with notable books on judicial indecision and polarization mitigation.

Scientific awards include:

• 2015 Edward S. Corwin Prize (Best Dissertation in Public Law)
• 2019 AEJMC Lynda Lee Kaid Award (Political Communication)

Hitt's research receives National Science Foundation funding. He teaches courses in judicial politics, legislative politics, American government, and quantitative methodology, reflecting his interdisciplinary approach to political institutions and behavioral analysis.