I am a first generation scholar that obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. While at Milwaukee, I studied American politics, comparative politics and political methodology. I currently hold the title of Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside.
My research interests include political behavior in the United States and Europe. In particular, my research focuses on under-represented groups in these regions. The focus of my dissertation was on the electoral behavior of individuals that cast a vote for populist radical right (far-right) political parties throughout Europe. I find that institutional structures, individual attitudes, and macro-social forces combine to explain vote choice through the use of a comprehensive empirical model.
Prior to obtaining a tenure track position at Parkside, I held a prestigious postdoctoral appointment at Lunds Universitet in Sweden. While at the Department of Political Science at Lunds Universitet I was able to publish articles on radical right voting behavior and the impact of radical right parties on citizenship policy in Europe. Further, while at Lund University, I taught graduate level political methodology - quantitative and qualitative research techniques. I also taught political parties and political behavior at the upper division Bachelor's level. Finally, I supervised Bachelor's and Master's theses while at Lund.
Additionally, a substantial amount of my post-doctoral and current work explores gender and politics. For example, I have co-authored articles in Politics and Gender, Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy, Political Research Quarterly and American Politics Research on gendered politics. A lot of my work in this area demonstrates the ever important role that partisanship plays in the subfield.
I have incorporated my substantive areas of interest into new course offerings at Parkside, which is a trend I hope to continue in the future.
Ph.D., Political Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, 2 May 2016
Exam Fields: Comparative and American Politics
Thesis: Voting Radical Right in Europe: A Comprehensive Explanation for Vote Choice
Committee: Dave A. Armstrong (chair), Thomas M. Holbrook, Ora John Reuter, Natasha Borges Sugiyama
M.A., Political Science, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, May 2012
Thesis: The Populist Right-Populist Radical Right Distinction: Are Their Voters Actually Different?
Committee: Jennifer K. Smith (chair), Dave A. Armstrong, and Erin B. Kaheny
B.A., Political Science (w/ Law Concentration), University of Wisconsin–Parkside, May 2010
Cum Laude (w/ distinction in the major)
2010 Academic Achievement Award Winner (Political Science and Law)
Thesis: The British Election Game Changer: Labour’s Rise and Tory Decline
Advisor: Jonathan R. Olsen
Additional Methods Training: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Summer Program in Quantitative Methods of Social Research, University of Michigan, Summer 2013 Studied: Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Time-Series Analysis, Bayesian Statistics
Additional Pedagogical Training: Lunds Universitet, Sweden, Division for Higher Education Development, Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Course Completion, Spring 2018
Michael A. Hansen