The Increasingly United States

Daniel J. Hopkins

Political Scientist

In a campaign for state or local office these days, you’re as likely today to hear accusations that an opponent advanced Obamacare or supported Donald Trump as you are to hear about issues affecting the state or local community. This is because American political behavior has become substantially more nationalized. American voters are far more engaged with and knowledgeable about what’s happening in Washington, DC, than in where they live, whether in the South, the Northeast, or the Midwest. Gone are the days when all politics was local.

Daniel J. Hopkins is a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where he studies American politics. He also writes periodically for FiveThirtyEight. He has previously taught at Georgetown University and worked for the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team as well as the City of New York. He received a Ph.D. from Harvard University.