Mark J. Brandt

Mark J. Brandt is an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Michigan State University's College of Social Sciences and a member of the Minority Politics Lab. His research investigates how threatening life events shape political, religious, and moral beliefs to reduce societal conflict and promote justice.

His work centers on political and moral psychology, examining how crises like job loss, relationship breakdowns, and pandemics influence political preferences. He analyzes the structure of ideological beliefs—including racism, religious fundamentalism, and moral conviction—and their role in attitude formation and behavioral change.

Recent publications reveal nuanced threat-politics dynamics: while threats increase vulnerability perceptions, their political impact is often limited and complex, as demonstrated in pandemic-era U.S. studies. This challenges deterministic theories linking threat directly to conservative shifts.

Dr. Brandt collaborates with the Minority Politics Lab, focusing on political attitudes within underrepresented groups through interdisciplinary social science approaches.