Michael Olson

Michael Olson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a Resident Fellow at the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, and a faculty affiliate of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity, and Equity. His research focuses on how electoral and legislative institutions shape political representation in the U.S., drawing on historical and multi-level data. Notable works include studies on Black disenfranchisement's impact on Southern state legislatures, legislative term limits, and judicial election dynamics.

Education: PhD in Political Science from Harvard University (2020), B.A. in Political Science from Vanderbilt University (2015, Summa Cum Laude).

Research Interests: American Political Institutions, Legislative Politics, State Politics, American Political History, Electoral Systems, and Political Representation. He explores how institutional frameworks influence representation, particularly through historical lenses and quantitative methods.

Recent Article Trends: His work bridges historical analysis and modern institutional studies, with a focus on race, electoral structures, and legislative behavior. Key themes include disenfranchisement consequences, judicial accountability, party unity, and methodological innovations.

Awards:

• Emerging Scholar Award (APSA, 2025)
• Robert Noxon Toppon Prize (Harvard, 2020)
• Kenneth A. Shepsle Prize (2022)

Advising & Grants: Advised undergraduate theses and co-led grant projects on voting rights and local development. Secured funding from the Russell Sage Foundation, Weidenbaum Center, and others. Actively mentors through initiatives like the WUSTEPS Pipeline Program.

Affiliations & Service: Co-organizes academic conferences, serves on university diversity committees, and engages in public outreach via debates and policy discussions at Washington University.