Michael Tesler

Michael Tesler is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine where he teaches courses on public opinion, racial politics, elections, and quantitative methods. His research primarily examines the intersection of race and American politics, particularly how racial attitudes influence voting behavior and political outcomes.

His influential books include Post-Racial or Most Racial? Race and Politics in the Obama Era and Identity Crisis: The 2016 Presidential Campaign and the Battle for the Meaning of America, both examining racialization in contemporary politics. Tesler's research has received funding from the National Science Foundation.

His publications predominantly focus on racial attitudes in American politics, with recent work examining protest impacts, partisan polarization on racial issues, and the persistence of racial prejudice in electoral behavior. His analytical approach combines survey research with historical contextualization to understand racialization processes.

• Top 50 thinkers transforming American politics (Politico 2016)
• Emerging Scholar Award (APSA Elections Section 2018)