Assistant Professor

Ph.D., Politics and Social Policy, Princeton University
M.A., Politics, Princeton University

Office: PGH 366
Email: mkistner@central.uh.edu
Phone: 713-743-2523

Research Interests

Biographical Summary

Michael Kistner is an assistant professor in the department of political science. He received a joint Ph.D. in Politics and Social Policy from Princeton University. Michael studies how changes in the American political environment -- such as deepening polarization, the growing importance of money in politics, and the rise of social media -- shape the decisions legislators make. He is the author of Paying for the Party: How Fundraising Demands Lead to Less Productive and Representative Legislatures (University of Chicago Press), and his work has appeared in the Journal of Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, and other venues.

Education

Ph.D., Politics and Social Policy, Princeton University
M.A., Politics, Princeton University
B.A., Political Science, Illinois Wesleyan University

Selected Publications

Kaslovsky, Jaclyn and Michael Kistner. Forthcoming. “Responsive Rhetoric: Evidence from Congressional Redistricting”. Legislative Studies Quarterly

Kistner, Michael. 2022. “Fighting for Majorities? Explaining the Development of Caucus Fundraising in American Legislatures”. Journal of Politics

Canes-Wrone, Brandice and Michael Kistner. 2022. “Out of Step and Still in Congress? The Electoral Consequences of Incumbent and Challenger Positioning across Time”. Quarterly Journal of Political Science