Michael Auslen

Michael Auslen serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, where he teaches Media and American Democracy and Honors Tutorial courses. His research examines democratic representation mechanisms with emphasis on state/local politics, media influences, and public opinion's policy role.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University
• Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School
• B.A. in Journalism and Political Science from Indiana University

Auslen's research spans state/local governance, media-representation dynamics, and political methodology. He investigates how local news organizations and political parties mediate public-official connections while developing advanced techniques for subnational opinion estimation. His work bridges empirical political science and journalistic practice, leveraging prior experience covering Florida state politics.

Recent publications reveal three interconnected research strands: methodological innovations for subnational polling (particularly cluster-sampled data), historical analysis of partisan polarization through state party platforms, and media's watchdog role in state legislatures. His 2024-2025 work increasingly integrates multivariate modeling with granular policy analysis.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Best Graduate Student Poster at 2022 State Politics and Policy Conference
• Christopher Z. Mooney Best Dissertation Prize from APSA State Politics and Policy Section

Auslen advises honors theses while maintaining active research collaborations. His prior journalism career at the Tampa Bay Times and Miami Herald directly informs his academic focus on state political institutions. Although specific grant details aren't public, his methodological papers suggest support for computational social science infrastructure.

No dedicated labs or research teams are documented, though his work involves large-scale text analysis of newspaper archives and state legislative data.