Area of Expertise

American politics, campaigns, elections, public opinion, political parties/ideology, political information/misinformation, religious and political polarization, political communication, presidential and legislative behavior

Additional Information

David Barker is Director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies and Professor of Government at American University. He has authored or co-authored three university press books and dozens of peer-reviewed political science journal articles on the subjects of American political parties, campaigns/elections, representation, culture/polarization, ideology/attitudes, information/communication, and institutions (Congress and the Presidency). He has served as principle investigator on more than 60 grant/contract-supported research projects -- totaling more than $10 million -- including support from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, HUD, and many others. His first book, Rushed to Judgment: Talk Radio, Persuasion, and American Political Behavior (2002; Columbia University Press), was nominated for several national awards. His second book, Representing Red and Blue: How the Culture Wars Change the Way Citizens Speak and Politicians Listen (2012; Oxford University Press) has been featured in prominent national media outlets including the Washington Post and Vox. His third book, One Nation, Two Realities: Dueling Facts in American Democracy, is forthcoming in 2018. He is frequently quoted in and cited by the New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Atlantic, and several other national media outlets news media outlets.