David M. Primo

David M. Primo is the Ani and Mark Gabrellian Professor of Political Science and Business Administration at the University of Rochester. He also serves as Associate Dept. Chair and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science. His research focuses on campaign finance, political institutions, government spending, and public policy. Major works include Campaign Finance and American Democracy (2020) and Rules and Restraint (2007), which won the Alan Rosenthal Prize. Primo has testified before Congress on topics like balanced budget amendments and constitutional reforms. His op-eds appear in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and others. He has collaborated on studies about corporate political disclosures, electoral uncertainty, and institutional constraints on fiscal policy.

Primo’s academic contributions span journals like Business and Politics, Journal of Theoretical Politics, and Strategic Management Journal. He emphasizes methodological rigor and model-based approaches to political science, as detailed in A Model Discipline (2012). His work often bridges political theory with empirical analysis, addressing real-world policy challenges.