Research Expertise and Interest

political psychology, politics, race and public policy, race, racial justice

Research Description

David C. Wilson is the dean of the Goldman School and a Professor of Public Policy.

Wilson’s research examines how individuals formulate their political preferences about race and justice, and how social cognition shapes broader survey response behaviors. His research is published widely in areas of inquiry that include the application of double-standards in evaluating racial groups and related policy issues, attitudes toward voter identification laws and electoral malfeasance, blame attributions toward elected leaders and political groups, and how diversity culture and climate affect organizational employee engagement. He is also the co-author of the forthcoming book, Racial Resentment in the Political Mind (University of Chicago Press).

Wilson’s academic specializations include survey research methods and experiments (psychology of survey response), political psychology, and American politics, with an emphasis on the measurement and analysis of intergroup attitudes and political behavior. He holds life memberships in several organizations including the American Political Science Association (APSA), the International Society for Political Psychology (ISPP), Midwest Political Science Association, Pi Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS), and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated. He most recently served on the executive council for the American Association of Public Opinion Researchers, and on the Advisory Committee and Editorial Board of Public Opinion Quarterly (POQ).