Thad Kousser

Thad Kousser is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where he has served since 2003. He previously chaired the Department of Political Science from 2016 to 2022. His research focuses on American state and national politics, voting reforms, direct democracy mechanisms, and the role of social media in political communication. He has held visiting appointments at Stanford University and Flinders University (Australia as a Fulbright Scholar). His work has been published in top journals like the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and American Political Science Review.

Research Interests:

• Electoral systems and reform
• Partisan polarization and its governance impacts
• Legislative professionalism and term limits
• State-level policy dynamics
• Political communication in the digital age
• Comparative studies of federalism

Awards:

• UCSD Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award
• Flinders Fulbright Distinguished Chair

Grants & Advising: While no specific grants are listed, his research has involved large-scale field experiments (e.g., 2020 mail ballot study). His advisory work includes contributions to California’s Citizens Redistricting Commission and legislative reform debates. He regularly provides expert commentary to media outlets like Politico, New York Times, and NPR.

Labs/Teams: Active in UCSD’s Law and Politics Initiative, examining intersections of governance and legal frameworks.