Political Science professor receives Carnegie grant to research political polarization

Fresno State political science professor Dr. Lisa Bryant is one of 28 Andrew Carnegie Fellows Who will receive grants of US$200,000 each for research related to political polarization. Bryant’s research seeks to understand how and why society has become so polarized and how enhanced cohesion can strengthen democracy.

His selection as part of the Class of 2024 was announced on May 7 by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Bryant’It is the winning project is titled “Polarizing the Process: Partisan Effects on Electoral Authorities and Confidence in Elections”.

“I am humbled and grateful to have been selected for this scholarship,” Bryant said. “I am proud to be one of the few scholars who has had the opportunity to represent CSUs as a Carnegie Fellow. I will work hard to highlight the important and impactful research we do at CSUs. The other scholars in this year’s cohort are all incredible experts in their fields, many of whom I know as colleagues in the field of election science, and I am honored to be in their company.”

Bryant said his research will examine how partisan polarization is impacting the administration of elections in the United States and how it affects career bureaucrats who serve the public as local election officials.

“When we lose faith in the processes that guarantee our democracy, democracy itself is threatened,” Bryant said.. “I deeply respect and admire the work of election officials and the impartial way in which most of them carry out their duties. I hope my research can help explain why trust in their profession has declined, so that we can rebuild trust in election officials, administrative processes, and election results.”

With this focus, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program marks the beginning of an effort to develop a body of research around today’s growing political polarization.

“We are immensely proud of Dr. Bryant and her continued leadership in the field of election studies,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “This prestigious award honors her impactful research and fieldwork. Her work embodies the impressive impact of political scientists in maintaining and promoting our democratic system. I am very proud that with Dr. Bryant’s work, Fresno State will be highlighted on a national level.”

More than 360 candidates submitted proposals – a record for the program. Selection criteria prioritized the originality and promise of the research, its potential impact on the field, and the candidate’s plans to communicate the results to a broad audience.

“This year marks the first time that the jury has been invited to evaluate proposals that address a single theme – the pervasive issue of political polarization, characterized by threats to freedom of expression, the decline of civil discourse, disagreement over basic facts, and a lack of mutual understanding and collaboration,” he said John J. DeGioia, jury president and president of Georgetown University. He gratefully noted the contributions of longtime juror Jared L. Cohon, president emeritus of Carnegie Mellon University, who died unexpectedly in March.

Of the 28 fellows selected, 11 are employed by state universities (including two from the California State University campuses), 16 are employed by private universities, and one is a journalist.

The award lasts for up to two years and the expected result is usually an important book or study. Congressional testimony from former fellows covered topics including social media and privacy protections, transnational crime, government responses to pandemics, and college affordability. Fellows have received honors including a Nobel Prize and a National Book Award.

Founded in 2015, the Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is among the most generous grants of its kind awarded for research in the humanities and social sciences. To date, the corporation has named more than 270 fellows, representing a philanthropic investment of more than $54 million.

The Andrew Carnegie Fellows Program is a continuation of the mission of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1911, to promote the advancement and spread of knowledge and understanding.

The public will be able to follow the conversation on #CarnegieFellows via Facebook, Instagram, LinkedInIt is X (Twitter).

Class of 2024

Delia S. Baldassarri, New York University

David Broockman, University of California, Berkeley

Lisa A. Bryant, Fresno State

Joshua D. Clinton, Vanderbilt University

Johanna Dunaway, Syracuse University Institute for Democracy, Journalism and Citizenship

Bernard L. Fraga, Emory University

D. Sunshine Hillygus, Duke University

Taeku Lee, Harvard University

Brett L.M. Levy, University at Albany, State University of New York

Neil Malhotra, Stanford Graduate School of Business

Lilliana Mason, Johns Hopkins University

Angie Maxwell, University of Arkansas

Jennifer McCoy, Georgia State University

Elizabeth McKenna, Harvard Kennedy School

Neil A. O’Brian, University of Oregon

Molly Offer-Westort, University of Chicago

Julianna Pacheco, University of Iowa

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, The New School

Markus Prior, Princeton University

Brian F. Schaffner, Tufts University
Ananya Sen, Carnegie Mellon University

Seema Sohi, University of Colorado Boulder

Mara Suttmann-Lea, Connecticut College

Chris Tausanovitch, University of California, Los Angeles

Dara M. Wald, Texas A&M University

Elise Wang, California State University, Fullerton

David N. Wasserman, Cook Political Report

Hajar Yazdiha, University of Southern California