About
I am an Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at the College of Charleston and serve as my department's Associate Chair. I also direct the American Politics Research Team and am the research director for the Center for Public Choice and Market Process.
My research and teaching focus on both American and South Carolina politics, the Congress, political parties, elections, political economy, and statistical methods for the social sciences.
A link to my CV is above.
Research
I am the author of two books: "Congress in Reverse: Repeals from Reconstruction to the Present" (University of Chicago Press) and "First in the South: Why the South Carolina Presidential Primary Matters" (University of South Carolina Press). I have also published over a dozen articles in journals like: Political Research Quarterly, Perspectives on Politics, American Politics Research, among others.
For more info, visit my research page:
Teaching
I have taught a variety of classes on both American politics and research methodology and am constantly developing new courses. In American politics, my teaching includes classes on political institutions, American political development, national elections, public opinion, South Carolina politics, and national politics. In research methodology, my teaching includes classes on both research design and statistical methods for the social sciences.
My classes are listed on my teaching page:
Public Scholarship
My academic work is complemented by various forms of public scholarship.
I have worked as a consultant for several agencies and nonprofits including: the City of Charleston Police, Lowcountry Local First, and the Alliance for Full Acceptance. Additionally, from 2021 to 2022, I worked as an expert witness for the ACLU in a racial gerrymandering lawsuit.
I have published roughly thirty op-eds and editorials in outlets such as the The Washington Post, Charleston's Post & Courier, and South Carolina's The State newspaper. Likewise, I have appeared on PBS, NPR, South Carolina Public Radio and have been quoted in newspapers like the New Yorker and USA Today.
I often work with students on a range of scholarly and public-facing projects. I have helped students write op/eds and editorials, conducted exit polls with a student research team, organized voter registration drives on campus, and published papers with undergraduates.
Additional info is available here:
Contact
Jordan Ragusa College of Charleston Department of Political Science J.C. Long Building | Room 206 Charleston, SC 29401