Dr. Michael J. Hanmer, Assistant Professor

Biography

I joined the faculty in the Department of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland in the Fall of 2007. I am currently an Associate Professor in GVPT and Research Director of the University of Maryland’s Center for American Politics and Citizenship. I earned a Ph.D. in Political Science at the University of Michigan in 2004, a M.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and a B.A. in Economics from the State University of New York College at Geneseo. From Fall 2004-Spring 2007 I was an assistant professor in the Department of Government at Georgetown University.

I specialize in American politics and political methodology, with a focus on how electoral institutions shape behavior. My latest book, Discount Voting: Voter Registration Reforms and Their Effects (Cambridge University Press, 2009), investigates the effects of registration laws on turnout, the composition of the electorate, and party behavior in the United States. I am a co-author of Voting Technology: The Not-So-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot (Brookings Institution Press, 2008). I’ve also published articles on vote-by-mail, election day registration, voting systems, the over-reporting of voting in surveys, and the laws and administrative procedures that govern the ability of college students to register in their college towns. My current research investigates the effect of ballot style on electoral outcomes, how mobilization by parties and other organized interests shapes the behavior and attitudes of citizens, the sensitivity of predictions in models of limited dependent variables, the use of ecological inference estimators to understand split-ticket voting, and question wording effects.

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and believe that the Buffalo Bills will someday win the Super Bowl. After growing up watching curling (think shuffle board on ice, not weight lifting) on CBC, I joined the Detroit Curling Club (http://www.detroitcurlingclub.com) during graduate school. I now curl at the Potomac Curling Club (http://www.curldc.org).

Research

Curriculum Vitae

Discount Voting: Voter Registration Reforms and Their Effects. Cambridge University Press. 2009.

Voting Technology: The Not-So-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot. (Paul S. Herrnson, Richard G. Niemi, Michael J. Hanmer, Benjamin B. Bederson, Frederick G. Conrad, and Michael W. Traugott). Brookings Institution Press. 2008.

"Voter Turnout Among College Students: New Data and a Rethinking of Traditional Theories.” (Richard G. Niemi and Michael J. Hanmer). Social Science Quarterly, 91:301-323, 2010.

“Losing Fewer Votes: The Impact of Changing Voting Systems on Residual Votes.” (Michael J. Hanmer, Won-ho Park, Michael W. Traugott, Richard G. Niemi, Paul S. Herrnson, Frederick G. Conrad, and Benjamin B. Bederson). Political Research Quarterly, 63:129-142, 2010.

“Where Can and Should College Students Vote? A Legal and Empirical Perspective.” (Richard G. Niemi, Michael J. Hanmer, and Thomas H. Jackson). Election Law Journal, 8:327-348, 2009.

“Voter Reactions to Electronic Voting Systems: Results from a Usability Field Test.” (Paul S. Herrnson, Richard G. Niemi, Michael J. Hanmer, Peter L. Francia, Benjamin B. Bederson, Frederick G. Conrad, and Michael W. Traugott). American Politics Research, 36:580-611, 2008.

“An Alternative Approach to Estimating Who is Most Likely to Respond to Changes in Registration Laws.” Political Behavior, 29:1-30, 2007.

“Good Excuses: Understanding Who Votes with an Improved Turnout Question.” (Brian Duff, Michael J. Hanmer, Won-ho Park, and Ismail K. White). Public Opinion Quarterly, 71:67-90, 2007.

“The Impact of Vote-By-Mail on Voter Behavior.” (Michael J. Hanmer and Michael W. Traugott). American Politics Research, 32:375-405, 2004.

Favorites

Maryland Terrapins	Michigan Wolverines
Buffalo Bills	Buffalo Sabres