Michael J. Ensley

I teach a variety of course in on American politics and research methods at the undergraduate and graduate level. My research analyze how candidates for and members of the U.S. Congress respond to the competing demands of citizens, activists, interests groups, and political parties. In particular, I focus on what criteria citizens use to evaluate congressional candidates and political parties, and in turn, how these evaluative processes influence the positions candidates adopt and the decisions congressional incumbents make.