He received a PhD in Political Science at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 2012. His research focuses on political representation, American state politics, and quantitative methodology. He has published articles in the American Political Science Review, Political Analysis, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and State Politics and Policy Quarterly. This book is based on his dissertation, which was a co-recipient of the 2013 Christopher Z. Mooney Award from the American Political Science Association's State Politics and Policy Section.