GSPM Director Lara Brown
Research Interests: Presidential Campaigns, American Politics, Campaigns and Elections, Political Scandals
Global Center for Political Management
GSPM's Research Hub
The Graduate School of Political Management seeks to determine how today’s campaigns, candidates, and causes are succeeding in advancing their mission. Our applied politics, advocacy, and communications research, conducted in conjunction with strategic partners in the arena, is set to serve as benchmarks for the political and advocacy campaigns of the future.
Meet Our Experts
Our full-time faculty are seasoned researchers studying the latest tools, techniques, and strategies that are making an impact in the fields of politics, communications, and advocacy. They've also spent time in politics as Congressional staffers, White House appointees, lobbyists, and campaign professionals.
Legislative Affairs Program Director Steve Billet
Research Interests: Congress, Grassroots Advocacy, Lobbying, PACs, FEC Compliance Issues, International Politics
Political Management Program Director Todd Belt
Research Interests: The Presidency, Campaigns and Elections, Mass Media and Politics, Public Opinion
Strategic PR Program Director Larry Parnell
Interests: Corporate Social Responsibility, Crisis Communications, Social Media and Corporate Communications
Latin American Program Co-Director Roberto Izurieta
Research Interests: Latin American Politics, Political Campaigns, Governance, Political Risk
Latin American Program Co-Director Luis Matos
Research Interests: Latin American Politics, Political Campaigns, Governance, Political Risk
Research Director Michael Cornfield
Research Interests: Political Rhetoric, Data Analytics in Politics, Social Media in Politics, Political Campaigns
Global Residency Director Natalia Dinello
Research Interests: Global Politics, Multilateral Organizations, Intergovernmental Relations, Eastern European/Russian Politics
Professor Matt Dallek
Research Interests: Presidential History, Homeland Security Politics, Republican Party Politics, Congress
Our Research Projects
PEORIA Project
The Graduate School of Political Management’s PEORIA Project seeks to quantify how voters react to campaign messages. Working with several data partners, GSPM researchers are discovering how messages reach the electorate; how those messages are being received and passed on through individuals’ personal networks; and who is getting the most “mainstream” and “social” media traction and converting it to action.
Battleground Poll
The George Washington University’s Battleground Poll is a nationally recognized series of surveys conducted by Republican pollster Ed Goeas and Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. GSPM serves as the home for the project and also provides valuable insight into survey development and dissemination.
Society of Presidential Pollsters
From FDR to Barack Obama, Presidents of the United States have established unique and private relationships with their pollsters. The Society seeks to archive and examine the role public opinion plays in shaping decision-making strategy in the White House.
The Shenkman Initiative: Applying Big Data for Political Success
The latest innovation to enter the campaign manager’s tool chest is “big data,” the computational and analytic processes keyed to large quantities of information about citizens. This initiative sought to research and teach how to use big data to spur collaborative action and make democracy work.
Selected Research and Publications
In addition to our research projects, our Global Center for Political Engagement serves as a repository of valuable data, host for important speakers, and provider of opportunities for students to learn from experts in the field. Below is a selection of published works from our faculty.
Jockeying for the American Presidency: The Political Opportunism of Aspirants
Dr. Lara Brown explores the role that opportunism plays in running and winning presidential elections. (Cambria Press, 2010)
Defenseless Under the Night: The Roosevelt Years and the Origins of Homeland Security
Dr. Matt Dallek explores the tensions around homeland security during the Second World War. (Oxford University Press, 2016)
Routledge Handbook of Political Management
Dr. Steve Billet is the author of "The Rise and Impact of Monster PACs" in this seminal volume on the profession of politics. (Routledge, 2008)
Democracy for Hire: A History of American Political Consulting
GSPM Professor Emeritus Dennis Johnson is the author of the definitive book on the history of the American political consulting industry.
Campaigning for President 2016: Strategy and Tactics
Dr. Lara Brown and Professor Emeritus Dennis Johnson edited an examination of the 2016 presidential campaign by experts in the field.
Shaping International Public Opinion: A Model for Nation Branding and Public Diplomacy
Program Director Larry Parnell authored a chapter on "Nation Branding, Public Diplomacy, and Corporate Social Responsibility."
