Research
My research examines how public policies and administrative processes develop, spread, and operate across American states and local governments. I’m especially interested in how political actors and institutions learn from one another and make strategic decisions about where and how to pursue policy change.
One of my central contributions is the Correlates of State Policy Project, co-developed with Matt Grossmann. This comprehensive dataset includes over 3,000 variables from all 50 states, spanning from 1900 to 2020. Widely cited in the fields of public policy and state politics, the project also features an interactive web application and a peer-reviewed publication that supports comparative and longitudinal research on state-level governance.
My co-authored work spans a range of topics, including:
My dissertation introduces the concept of venue diffusion, which builds on the policy diffusion and venue shopping literatures. It argues that governments not only adopt similar policies but also imitate the institutional channels—legislatures, courts, or ballot initiatives—used by others to advance those policies. This work deepens our understanding of how both policy content and political processes can diffuse across jurisdictions.
Across all of my projects, I engage with multiple institutions (e.g., legislatures, courts, direct democracy), diverse policy areas (e.g., taxation, morality policy, disaster response, criminal justice), and occasionally draw cross-national insights. I use a variety of methodological approaches—including regression analysis, quasi-experimental designs, surveys, and case studies—to address pressing questions in public policy and administration.
Please see below for a list of my publications and public datasets, as well as a link to my Google Scholar profile.
Publications:
Foley, Lauren S. and Marty P. Jordan. 2023. “Institutionalizing Internships: Enhanced Civic Culture via State Capital Internship Programs” Journal of Political Science Education. 20(2): 253-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2023.2275763.
Grossmann, Matt, Marty P. Jordan, and Joshua McCrain. 2021. “The Correlates of State Policy and the Structure of State Panel Data.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly. doi:10.1017/spq.2021.17.
Hula, Richard C. and Marty P. Jordan. 2018. “Private Investment and Public Redevelopment: The Case of New Markets Tax Credits.” Poverty & Public Policy. 10(1): 11 - 38.
Jordan, Marty P., Elinor R. Jordan, and Lauren Foley. Forthcoming. “The Unseen Scars of Experiential Learning: Secondary Trauma in Political Science Internships.” PS: Political Science and Politics.
Jordan, Marty P. and Charles S. Matzke. 2024. “A Roadmap for Establishing a Successful Internship Program in State Capitals and Beyond.” Journal of Political Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2024.2349533.
Jordan, Marty P., Erika Rosebrook, Eleanor Schiff. 2022. “The Challenges and Advantages for Seasoned Professionals Applying to and Navigating Doctoral Programs.” in American Political Science Association’s Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond, eds. Kevin G. Lorentz II, Daniel J. Mallinson, Julia Marin Hellwege, Davin Phoenix, and J. Cherie Strachan.
Jordan, Marty P., and Saundra K. Schneider. 2015. “Poverty and Politics.” In Michael Shally-Jensen, Mark J. Rozell, and Ted G. Jelen (Eds.), Encyclopedia of American Political Cultures. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC Clio Solutions.
Jordan, Marty P. and Jamil S. Scott. 2025. “The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth, Interests, and Representation in the U.S. States.” Political Research Quarterly.
Saks McManaway, Kimberly, Regina Bateson, Marty P. Jordan, Karen Kedrowski, and Kyle Harris. 2022. “Balancing Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Graduate School.” in American Political Science Association’s Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond, eds. Kevin G. Lorentz II, Daniel J. Mallinson, Julia Marin Hellwege, Davin Phoenix, and J. Cherie Strachan.
Schneider, Saundra K. and Marty P. Jordan. 2015. “An Analysis of Governmental Performance during Urban Disasters: Fukushima and Hurricane Sandy.” In Cities at Risk: Planning for and Recovering from Natural Disasters. Pierre Filion, Gary Sands, and Mark Skidmore (Eds.). Surrey, England: Ashgate Press.
Schneider, Saundra K. and Marty P. Jordan. 2016. “Political Science Research on Crises and Crisis Communications.” In The Handbook of International Crisis Communication Research. Andreas Schwarz, Matthew Seeger, and Claudia Auer (Eds.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Datasets:
Jordan, Marty P., and Matt Grossmann. 2021. The Correlates of State Policy Project v.1.0 – v.2.6. East Lansing, MI: Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Available: https://www.ippsr.msu.edu/public-policy/correlates-state-policy.
To view my Google Scholar page, please click here.
One of my central contributions is the Correlates of State Policy Project, co-developed with Matt Grossmann. This comprehensive dataset includes over 3,000 variables from all 50 states, spanning from 1900 to 2020. Widely cited in the fields of public policy and state politics, the project also features an interactive web application and a peer-reviewed publication that supports comparative and longitudinal research on state-level governance.
My co-authored work spans a range of topics, including:
- The role of federal tax incentives in promoting economic redevelopment in low-income communities.
- The uneven governmental responses to urban disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy and Fukushima.
- The impact of public service internship programs on students’ civic values and engagement.
- The emotional toll of internships, including the prevalence of secondary traumatic stress among students placed in high-stakes environments.
- A practical roadmap for universities seeking to replicate or enhance capital-based internship programs, modeled on MSU’s Michigan Government Semester Program.
- How symbolic policies, such as Juneteenth commemorations, spread across states, revealing that states often emulate ideologically similar peers under social pressure, and that Black political representation can moderate the influence of racial resentment on policy adoption.
My dissertation introduces the concept of venue diffusion, which builds on the policy diffusion and venue shopping literatures. It argues that governments not only adopt similar policies but also imitate the institutional channels—legislatures, courts, or ballot initiatives—used by others to advance those policies. This work deepens our understanding of how both policy content and political processes can diffuse across jurisdictions.
Across all of my projects, I engage with multiple institutions (e.g., legislatures, courts, direct democracy), diverse policy areas (e.g., taxation, morality policy, disaster response, criminal justice), and occasionally draw cross-national insights. I use a variety of methodological approaches—including regression analysis, quasi-experimental designs, surveys, and case studies—to address pressing questions in public policy and administration.
Please see below for a list of my publications and public datasets, as well as a link to my Google Scholar profile.
Publications:
Foley, Lauren S. and Marty P. Jordan. 2023. “Institutionalizing Internships: Enhanced Civic Culture via State Capital Internship Programs” Journal of Political Science Education. 20(2): 253-273. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2023.2275763.
Grossmann, Matt, Marty P. Jordan, and Joshua McCrain. 2021. “The Correlates of State Policy and the Structure of State Panel Data.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly. doi:10.1017/spq.2021.17.
Hula, Richard C. and Marty P. Jordan. 2018. “Private Investment and Public Redevelopment: The Case of New Markets Tax Credits.” Poverty & Public Policy. 10(1): 11 - 38.
Jordan, Marty P., Elinor R. Jordan, and Lauren Foley. Forthcoming. “The Unseen Scars of Experiential Learning: Secondary Trauma in Political Science Internships.” PS: Political Science and Politics.
Jordan, Marty P. and Charles S. Matzke. 2024. “A Roadmap for Establishing a Successful Internship Program in State Capitals and Beyond.” Journal of Political Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2024.2349533.
Jordan, Marty P., Erika Rosebrook, Eleanor Schiff. 2022. “The Challenges and Advantages for Seasoned Professionals Applying to and Navigating Doctoral Programs.” in American Political Science Association’s Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond, eds. Kevin G. Lorentz II, Daniel J. Mallinson, Julia Marin Hellwege, Davin Phoenix, and J. Cherie Strachan.
Jordan, Marty P., and Saundra K. Schneider. 2015. “Poverty and Politics.” In Michael Shally-Jensen, Mark J. Rozell, and Ted G. Jelen (Eds.), Encyclopedia of American Political Cultures. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC Clio Solutions.
Jordan, Marty P. and Jamil S. Scott. 2025. “The Spread of Symbolic Policies: Juneteenth, Interests, and Representation in the U.S. States.” Political Research Quarterly.
Saks McManaway, Kimberly, Regina Bateson, Marty P. Jordan, Karen Kedrowski, and Kyle Harris. 2022. “Balancing Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Graduate School.” in American Political Science Association’s Strategies for Navigating Graduate School and Beyond, eds. Kevin G. Lorentz II, Daniel J. Mallinson, Julia Marin Hellwege, Davin Phoenix, and J. Cherie Strachan.
Schneider, Saundra K. and Marty P. Jordan. 2015. “An Analysis of Governmental Performance during Urban Disasters: Fukushima and Hurricane Sandy.” In Cities at Risk: Planning for and Recovering from Natural Disasters. Pierre Filion, Gary Sands, and Mark Skidmore (Eds.). Surrey, England: Ashgate Press.
Schneider, Saundra K. and Marty P. Jordan. 2016. “Political Science Research on Crises and Crisis Communications.” In The Handbook of International Crisis Communication Research. Andreas Schwarz, Matthew Seeger, and Claudia Auer (Eds.). Wiley-Blackwell.
Datasets:
Jordan, Marty P., and Matt Grossmann. 2021. The Correlates of State Policy Project v.1.0 – v.2.6. East Lansing, MI: Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR). Available: https://www.ippsr.msu.edu/public-policy/correlates-state-policy.
To view my Google Scholar page, please click here.