Scott Althaus

Scott Althaus is the Charles J. and Ethel S. Merriam Professor of Political Science and Professor of Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He directs the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research and holds appointments in the School of Information Sciences and National Center for Supercomputing Applications. His research focuses on political communication, public opinion dynamics, and data-driven analysis of news media. Althaus has authored influential works on electoral strategies, war support, and media coverage of terrorism. Notable honors include the Hazel Gaudet-Erskine Best Book Award (2023) and Goldsmith Book Prize (2004). His work applies machine learning to extract insights from vast news datasets, aiming to enhance societal well-being through evidence-based research.

Althaus joined UIUC in 1996 with a joint appointment in Political Science and Communication. He serves on editorial boards of Political Communication and Public Opinion Quarterly, and his research appears in top journals like the American Political Science Review. Media features include appearances on CNN, Fox News, and New York Times. Recent projects include analyzing Electoral College strategies in presidential campaigns and documenting police uses of lethal force via the SPOTLITE project. His 2024 book Battleground examines state-level campaign tactics from 1952-2020.

Key research themes: popular support for war, extreme-scale news analysis, cross-national political communication, and the psychology of information processing. Awards also include the David Easton Prize (2004) for broadening political science horizons. Teaching excellence recognized by 2013 Dean’s Award and consistent student rankings.