Michael Strawbridge

Michael Strawbridge is an assistant professor in the department of political science at Washington University in St. Louis. His research focuses on American politics and quantitative methodology, with an emphasis on race and ethnic politics and political psychology. An expert in Black politics, his work examines how social and cultural contexts shape the political attitudes and behaviors of Black citizens and Black political elites. His research has been published in several leading journals, including Political Communication; Politics, Groups, and Identities; and Political Behavior.

He earned his PhD in political science from Rutgers University–New Brunswick and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and media studies from Beloit College. He is a former Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Ralph Bunche Summer Institute Scholar, and American Political Science Association Diversity Fellow. Most recently, he received the Rutgers Outstanding Doctoral Student Award and was selected as a 2024–2025 University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Los Angeles.

His project, “In the Thick of It: The Relationship Among Black People, Black Spaces, and Black Political Unity,” investigates how African American cultural institutions foster Black political unity and collective decision-making. Using Black Americans’ unparalleled political cohesion as a case study, he demonstrates how social and cultural institutions can act as a counterweight to increasing political polarization. He reconceptualizes Black political attitude formation and captures how Black social networks and institutions influence Black public opinion.

May 2026