Matto Mildenberger

Matto Mildenberger is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). His research examines the political drivers of climate policy inaction and the role of public opinion in shaping environmental governance. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University and specializes in Comparative Politics, Environmental Politics, Public Opinion, and Methodology.

• Education: Ph.D., Yale University (2015)

Research Focus: Mildenberger's work straddles comparative political economy and political behavior, with a focus on climate policymaking and US climate opinion dynamics. He investigates policy bundling strategies, legislative responsiveness, and the political economy of carbon pricing. His research also extends to qualitative methods, particularly process-tracing within the potential outcomes framework.

Recent Publications: His articles appear in top-tier journals like American Political Science Review, Nature Climate Change, and Global Environmental Politics. Key topics include geographic climate opinion variation, legislative incentives, and public safety power shutoff impacts on climate attitudes.

Scientific Awards:

• Jack Walker Award (2019) for best article on political organizations
• Charles Redd Award (2019) for best paper on the American West
• David P. Baron Award (2018) for best article in Business and Politics

Teaching: He teaches courses in political research methods, comparative environmental politics, and quantitative causal inference at both undergraduate and graduate levels.