Our Research

Articles

• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2018. “Turnout in Local Elections: Is Timing Really Everything?” Election Law Journal 17 (3): 221-33
• Lappie, John and Melissa Marschall. 2018. “Place and Participation in Local Elections.” Political Geography. 64: 33-42.
• Shah, P. (2017). Racial change, racial threat, and minority representation in cities. Urban Affairs Review.
• Carnes, Nicholas. 2015. "Does the descriptive representation of the working class “crowd out” women and minorities (and vice versa)? Evidence from the Local Elections in America Project." Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (2): 350-365.
• Crowder-Meyer, Melody and Adrienne R. Smith. 2015. “How the strategic context affects women's emergence and success in local legislative elections.” Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (2): 295-317.
• Crowder-Meyer, Melody, Shana Kushner Gadarian and Jessica Trounstine. 2015. “Electoral institutions, gender stereotypes, and women's local representation.” Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (2): 318-334.
• Marschall, Melissa and Paru Shah. 2015. “Dialogue: Local Elections in American Politics.” Politics Groups and Identities 3(2): 274-77.
• Rocha, Rene R., Natasha E. Altema McNeely and Carlos E. Cuellar. 2015. “How support for Latino candidates encourages municipal reforms: evidence from the Local Elections in America Project.” Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (2): 335-349.
• Shah, Paru. 2015. “Stepping Up: Black Political Ambition and Success.” Politics, Groups, and Identities 3 (2):278-94.
• Shah, Paru. 2014. “It Takes a Black Candidate: A Supply-Side Theory of Representation.” Political Research Quarterly, forthcoming.
• Marschall, Melissa, Paru Shah and Anirudh Ruhil. 2011. “Symposium: The Study of Local Elections: A Looking Glass into the Future.” PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 97-100.
• Kaufmann, Karen and Antonio Rodriguez. 2011. "Political Behavior in the Context of Racial Diversity: The Case for Studying Local Politics." PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 101-102.
• Liu, Baodong. 2011. "Obama's Local Connection: Racial Conflict of Solidarity." PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 103-105.
• Lewis, Paul G. 2011. "Size and Local Democracy: Scale Effects in City Politics." PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 107-109.
• Adams, Brian E. 2011. "Financing Local Elections: the Impact of Institutions on Electoral Outcomes and Democratic Representation." PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 111-112.
• Palus, Christine Kelleher. 2011. "Tribulations, Triumphs and Tentative Trajectories in the Study of Local Political Participation." PS: Political Science and Politics, January: 113-114.

Reports

• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2018. "2018 Houston Civic Health Index."
• Marschall, Melissa, John Lappie and Luke Williams. 2017. "Who Runs for Mayor in America?"
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. "Mayoral Elections in Indiana, 2003-2015."
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. "Mayoral Elections in Kentucky, 2010-2014."
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. "Mayoral Elections in California, 1995-2014."
• Carnes, Nicholas. 2013. "Is Working-class Representation a Threat to Women and Minorities."
• Crowder-Meyer, Melody and Adrienne Smith. 2013. "Women's Emergence and Success in Local Legislative Elections."
• Crowder-Meyer, Melody, Shana Kushner Gadarian and Jessica Trounstine. 2013. "Understanding Institutional Interactions: Gender and City Elections."
• Marschall, Melissa and Anna Mikulska. 2013. "The Process of Minority Incorporation in Local Politics and Government."
• Shah, Paru. 2013. "Closing the Racial Gap: Estimating Black Political Ambition."

Media

• Unopposed Local Elections on the Rise. 2017. Top of the Mind with Julie Rose, BYU Radio. June 26.
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. “OpEd: Is Indiana the reddest Midwest state?” Indianapolis Business Journal. September 10.
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. “Uncontested races pose accountability issues.” Louisville Courier-Journal. June 9.
• Marschall, Melissa and John Lappie. 2016. “OpEd: Here's how to rescue local elections from obscurity with one simple change.” Los Angeles Times. March 28.
• “LEAP California Mayoral Election Report & US Local Elections.” 2016. Michael Smerconish Program, SiriusXM - POTUS Channel 124. April 4.

Grants

• Houston Endowment Inc., “Harris County Civic Audit.” (Co-PIs Suzanne Pritzker and Dinae King). $53,024 May 15-December 31, 2018.
• Houston Endowment Inc., “Assessing the Civic Health of Houston.” $71,500. August 1, 2017-July 31, 2018.
• Knight Foundation, “Local Elections in America.” $200,000, May 1, 2015-April 30, 2016.
• National Science Foundation, “Local Elections in America Project Supplement” (Co-PI Paru Shah). 10/01/12 - 09/30/13. $48,000.
• K2I Innovation Grant: Enriching Rice through Information Technology (ERIT), (Co-PI Paru Shah) $25,000. “Local Elections in American Project (LEAP). Aug. 2010-Aug. 2011.
• National Science Foundation (Co-PI Paru Shah), $640,410. “Local Elections in American Project (LEAP). Aug. 2010-Aug. 2013 (SES-0962175).
• National Science Foundation (Co-PI Paru Shah and Anirudh Ruhil), $50,000. “Local Elections in America Project Workshop.” June 2009-December 2009.