Paul A. Atwell

My work focuses mostly on the Global South, exploring the intersection of identity and social psychology to understand electoral politics, public opinion, and social change. 

I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at The Ohio State University since Fall of 2025. I completed my B.Sc. in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed my PhD in Public Policy & Political Science at the University of Michigan. 

By joining methods and insights from across disciplines, I enjoy finding answers to thorny, but important questions about how state and party organizations interact with social institutions to shape individual thinking and behavior around political and economic decisions. My research has been published in the American Economic Review and the American Journal of Political Science.

My broader interests include electoral accountability, development policy, collective action dynamics, political geography, social network analysis, and more.