Welcome to my webpage. I am Associate Professor of Political Science at Colorado State University - Pueblo. I received my PhD from UCSD. My research focuses on political institutions and political economy in developed and developing democracies. This page provides links to some of my published research and data.
My book, Political Economy of the United States, is forthcoming (Routledge, 2018).
Abstract: How have the policies of recent administrations shaped today’s economy? To what extent has federal policy contributed to growth in income inequality? Why have the parties become so polarized and how has polarization influenced economic policy? This book provides an introduction to the contemporary political economy of the United States. It examines the politics of economic policymaking, the influence of federal policies and programs on the economy, and the co-evolution of politics and the economy over the past five decades. Along the way, it explains the causes and consequences of many contemporary phenomena, such as the government’s deficits and debt and the ideological polarization of the parties.
The book is divided into two parts. The first half explains how America’s political economy “works.” It explains what the federal government does, why it does what it does, and how its policies influence the economy. The second half explains “how we got here” with a review of major political and economic developments since the 1970s, all the way up to the early years of the Trump Administration. This weaving together of theory and history provides both the tools and the context so that readers can properly understand the nation’s current-day politics and policy debates.
My book, Political Economy of the United States, is forthcoming (Routledge, 2018).
Abstract: How have the policies of recent administrations shaped today’s economy? To what extent has federal policy contributed to growth in income inequality? Why have the parties become so polarized and how has polarization influenced economic policy? This book provides an introduction to the contemporary political economy of the United States. It examines the politics of economic policymaking, the influence of federal policies and programs on the economy, and the co-evolution of politics and the economy over the past five decades. Along the way, it explains the causes and consequences of many contemporary phenomena, such as the government’s deficits and debt and the ideological polarization of the parties.
The book is divided into two parts. The first half explains how America’s political economy “works.” It explains what the federal government does, why it does what it does, and how its policies influence the economy. The second half explains “how we got here” with a review of major political and economic developments since the 1970s, all the way up to the early years of the Trump Administration. This weaving together of theory and history provides both the tools and the context so that readers can properly understand the nation’s current-day politics and policy debates.
More publications and replication data:
Political Economy of the United States. (Routledge, 2019).
Johnson, Joel W. (2017). Electoral systems and campaign finance. Oxford Handbook on Electoral Systems. Edited by Erik Herron, Robert Pekkanen, and Matthew S. Shugart. Oxford University Press.
Johnson, Joel W. (2015). "Presidential Elections and Corruption Perceptions in Latin America." Journal of Politics in Latin America, 7(1), 111-142.
Johnson, Joel W. (2013). “Campaign Spending in Proportional Electoral Systems: Incumbents versus Challengers Revisited.” Comparative Political Studies, Volume 46 Issue 8 August 2013 pp. 968 – 993.
Johnson, Joel W. and Verónica Hoyo. (2012). “Beyond Personal Vote Incentives: Dividing the Vote in Preferential Electoral Systems.” Electoral Studies, 31(1): pp. 131-142. (Data and replication file available here.)
Johnson, Joel W. (2011) “Incumbents without a Campaign Finance Advantage: Competition and Money in Chile’s Congressional Elections.” Journal of Politics in Latin America, 3(3) pp. 3-33.
Shugart, Matthew S. and Joel W. Johnson (2010). “Elevating Legislatures in Latin America Presidential Democracies.” In: Organization of American States (OAS) / United Nations Development Program (UNDP): La democracia de ciudadanía: Una agenda para la construcción de ciudadanía en América Latina.
Johnson, Joel W. (2008). “Democracy and Disclosure: Electoral Systems and the Regulation of Political Finance.” Election Law Journal, Dec 2008, Vol. 7, No. 4: 325-346. (abstract at SSRN)
Other work:
Johnson, Joel W. (2014). "Electoral Systems and Political Corruption", unpublished manuscript. Available at SSRN.
Abstract: This paper argues that the relationship between legislative electoral systems and political corruption is different from what previous studies have contended. It argues that open-list proportional systems promote political corruption more than closed-list proportional and single-member plurality systems because they make campaign finance shortages more pronounced, legislative corruption opportunities more numerous, and the provision of anti-corruption institutions more challenging. Moreover, each of these effects is mediated by institutions that structure policymaking processes, such that legislatures elected by identical systems can differ in the degree to which they enable or frustrate political corruption. This account contrasts with previous research in several respects, especially by emphasizing that electoral system influence depends significantly on what occurs in the legislative arena. The paper provides two empirical studies to support the theory: a regression analysis of corruption across fifty-one democracies and case studies of legislator-involved corruption scandals in three open-list countries (Brazil, Chile, and Finland).
Joel W. Johnson; Jessica S. Wallack, [year]. "Electoral Systems and the Personal Vote", http://hdl.handle.net/1902.1/17901.
ORCiD
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4638-1147
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4638-1147
