Faculty and Staff Profile

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy

Educational Background

Ph.D. Government
University of Texas at Austin 2016

BA Political Science
Boise State University 2007

Courses Taught

Populism in Global Perspective
Democratization
Latin American Politics
Introduction to Comparative Government

Profile

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Clemson University. His research combines democratic theory with political behavior to study challenges to contemporary democracies, especially populism and extremism. He focuses on the role strong citizen voice can play in enhancing legitimacy and minimizing antidemocratic, authoritarian, and extremist politics. His most recent book is Age of Discontent: Populism, Extremism, and Conspiracy Theories in Contemporary Democracies (with Rachel Navarre and Steven Utych). This book shows how economic and cultural grievances interact to produce the wave of democratic discontent seen since the 2008 financial crisis in Europe and the Americas. His work has appeared in The Journal of Politics, Perspectives on Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Comparative Politics, Political Studies, Democratization, Latin American Research Review, and The Journal of Experimental Political Science.

Research Interests

Populism, political economy and behavior, democratization, regime support, conspiracy theories, race and ethnic politics, emotions

Research Publications

The Age of Discontent, Cambridge University Press
Populist Psychology, Journal of Politics
Fear or Loathing? Journal of Race and Ethnic Politics
Regime Support Beyond the Balance Sheet, Cambridge University Press

Honors and Awards

Juan Linz Prize, Best Dissertation Award (Honorable Mention)
Harvard Rockefeller Center, Best Dissertation in Latin American Politics

Links