Benjamin Schneer

Assistant Professor

Harvard Kennedy School

benjamin_schneer -at- hks.harvard.edu | @BenSchneer

Publications

"The Popular Origins of Legislative Jurisdictions: Petitions and Standing Committee Formation in Revolutionary Virginia and the Early U.S. House" with Tobias Resch, Maggie McKinley and Daniel Carpenter. Forthcoming at Journal of Politics. 2022. (Ungated Version).

"Partisan Alignment Increases Voter Turnout: Evidence from Redistricting" with Bernard Fraga and Daniel J. Moskowitz. 2021. Political Behavior.

"Congressional Representation by Petition: Assessing the Voices of the Voteless in a Comprehensive New Database, 1789–1949" with Maggie Blackhawk, Tobias Resch, and Daniel Carpenter. 2021. Legislative Studies Quarterly 46 (3): 817--849.

"From the Halls of Congress to K Street: Government Experience and Its Value for Lobbying" with Pamela Ban and Maxwell Palmer. 2019. Legislative Studies Quarterly 44 (4): 713-752.

"Reevaluating Competition and Turnout in U.S. House Elections" with Daniel J. Moskowitz. 2019. Quarterly Journal of Political Science 14: 191-223.

"Postpolitical Careers: How Politicians Capitalize on Public Office" with Maxwell Palmer. 2019. Journal of Politics 81 (2): 670-675.

"Suffrage Petitioning as Formative Practice: American Women Presage and Prepare for the Vote, 1840-1940" with Daniel Carpenter, Zachary Popp, Tobias Resch, and Nicole Topich. 2018. Studies in American Political Development 32 (1): 24-48.

"Paths of Recruitment: Rational Social Prospecting in Petition Canvassing" with Clayton Nall and Daniel Carpenter. 2018. American Journal of Political Science 62 (2): 192-209.

"Divided Government and Significant Legislation: A History of Congress from 1789--2010" with Stephen Ansolabehere and Maxwell Palmer. 2018. Social Science History 42 (1): 81-108.

"How the News Media Activate Public Expression and Influence National Agendas" with Gary King and Ariel White. 2017. Science 358 (6364): 776-780.

"Capitol Gains: The Returns to Elected Office from Corporate Board Directorships" with Maxwell Palmer. 2016. Journal of Politics 78 (1): 181-196.

"Party Formation Through Petitions: The Whigs and the Bank War of 1832--1834" with Daniel Carpenter. 2015. Studies in American Political Development 29 (2): 1-22.

"What Has Congress Done?" with Stephen Ansolabehere and Maxwell Palmer. 2016. Governing in a Polarized Age: Elections, Parties, and Political Representation in America, eds. Alan S. Gerber and Eric Schickler. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Work in Progress

"Misperceptions of Life Expectancy" with Desmond Ang.

"Corporate Political Activity as a Bundle of Goods" with Daniel J. Moskowitz and Maxwell Palmer.

"Frequent Flyers: Has Increased Travel Exacerbated Polarization and Reduced Civility and Bipartisanship in Congress?" with Daniel J. Moskowitz.

Reports, Other Publications and Selected Media

"Racially Polarized Voting Analysis for the Virginia Redistricting Commission" (with Maxwell Palmer). August 31, 2021.

"Drawing a Line." Harvard Kennedy School Magazine. Winter 2020.

"Review of Evaluating Media Bias, by Adam J. Schiffer." 2020. American Review of Politics 37 (1): 106-8.

"Drawing the Line on Gerrymandering." HKS PolicyCast (Podcast), December 10, 2019.

"The Arizona Redistricting Commission: One State's Model for Gerrymandering Reform" (with Colleen Mathis and Daniel J. Moskowitz). Ash Center Policy Brief, 2019. Press Release.

"Are Divided Governments the Cause of Delays and Shutdowns?" The Science of Politics (Podcast), January 2, 2019.

"Canvassers Tend to Seek Out Supporters Who Are Like Themselves, and That’s Not Good for Political Participation" (with Daniel Carpenter and Clayton Nall). LSE USAPP Blog, November 1, 2017

“How and Why Retired Politicians Get Lucrative Appointments on Corporate Boards” (with Maxwell Palmer). The Washington Post (Monkey Cage), February 1, 2015.

An Analysis of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Congressional District Map (with Gary King). Submitted to Department of Justice, 2012.

An Analysis of the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission Legislative District Map (with Gary King). Submitted to Department of Justice, 2012.