FRANK C. ERWIN, JR. CHAIR OF STATE POLITICS &
UNIVERSITY DISTINGUISHED TEACHING PROFESSOR
PROF. DARON R. SHAW
Since 1994, Professor Shaw has been a professor in the Government Department at the University of Texas at Austin. He teaches American Government, Campaigns & Elections, Public Opinion & Voting Behavior, and Political Parties. Professor Shaw currently serves as one half of the bipartisan polling team for Fox News, and is a member of the Fox News Decision Team. He is also co-director of the University of Texas Poll.
LATEST RESEARCH
Electoral College Strategies, 1952-2020
Using records from presidential libraries and the personal papers of candidates, this study catalogs how campaigns have categorized states in an effort to win an Electoral College majority. Data on candidate visits and TV advertising are also gathered to ascertain the extent to which outreach adheres to strategy.
Assessing Survey Errors
Much has been made of supposed errors in trial ballot polls in 2016 and 2020, but it has been difficult to get a fix on exactly what caused these errors. We assess the magnitude of these errors and the role of technical factors (such as non-ignorable non-response bias) and campaign factors (such as differential spending).
Does Campaign Finance Reform Affect Perceptions of Corruption?
The Supreme Court had famously ruled that limits on free speech privileges are justifiable insofar as they limit "the appearance of corruption." This project relies on national survey data--pre- and post-Citizens United--to test this link.
The Effects of Campaign Outreach
Political scientists still do not know all that much about the aggregate effects of political campaigns. We rely on field experiments and outreach data provided by actual campaigns to evaluate the impact of contacting and get out the vote programs in statewide campaigns.
