Dan Butler’s research focuses on questions related to political representation and the behavior of elites. His 2020 book, Rejecting Compromise: Legislators’ Fear of Primary Voters, written with Sarah E. Anderson and Laurel Harbridge-Yong, examines how fear of punishment from voters in primary elections leads legislators to refuse compromise and exacerbate gridlock. The book demonstrates how the American primary system leads legislators to act in ways that hurt their policy interests and overlook the broader electorate’s preferences by representing only a subset of voters with rigid positions.
He’s also author of Representing the Advantaged: How Politicians Reinforce Inequality, published in 2014 by Cambridge University Press. In addition to his books, Butler’s research has appeared in the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Politics, Political Analysis, the Quarterly Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly and other journals.
Known as a “gamble for resurrection,” leaders in crisis have long pursued risky actions in a final attempt to resurrect their careers. Dan Butler, professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, says the Democratic party is currently weighing its own gamble following Biden’s disappointing first debate.
In a new paper published in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Daniel M. Butler, in Arts & Sciences, argues that elections should be certified by nonpartisan commissions, rather than elected officials, to insulate the process from partisan influence.
The Department of Political Science in Arts & Sciences has launched the WUSTEPS Pipeline Program, which is aimed at preparing undergraduates from diverse backgrounds for success in graduate programs.
In a study conducted by Dan Butler, professor of political science in Arts & Sciences, voters were more likely to contact their female representatives and asked them to do more on a variety of issues including education, health, immigration, the economy and more.
Want more moderate candidates in the general election? Increasing voters’ participation in primary elections is one of the most effective ways to combat hyperpartisanship, says Daniel Butler, an expert in American politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
