Robert Van Houweling

Robert Van Houweling is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on electoral and legislative institutions, representation dynamics, and voter-politician interactions in the U.S. He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan (1993) and a Ph.D. from Harvard University (2003). Previously, he served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Thomas A. Daschle (1993-1995).

Research Interests: Van Houweling examines how legislative tactics shape representation, including majority party agenda control and candidate repositioning. His current projects include a NSF-funded study on voter responses to candidate ambiguity and a co-authored book Political Repositioning (Princeton University Press, under contract). His work combines experimental methods with historical analysis of U.S. elections and debates.

Teaching: He teaches advanced seminars in American Politics, Legislative Institutions, and Political Psychology at UC Berkeley, alongside undergraduate courses on Congress and Introduction to American Politics. Previously, he taught at the University of Michigan and Stanford University.

Key Projects: His NSF-funded research explores voter reactions to candidate repositioning across countries, revealing tensions between holding politicians accountable and stifling adaptive governance. A second project models how majority parties use legislative agendas to constrain representational accountability, contributing new insights into Senate filibusters and House procedural tactics.