Polarization in American Politics with Prof. David Canon

David Canon is a professor in the political science department at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He served as chair of the department from 2014-2017. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and previously taught at Duke University. He also served as the Distinguished Fulbright Chair in Tübingen, Germany in 2011-2012 and Debrecen, Hungary in 2003-2004. His teaching and research interests are in American political institutions, especially Congress. His more specific research interests include election administration, racial representation, partisan realignments, political careers, and the historical study of Congress (especially congressional committees). He is author of Race, Redistricting, and Representation (University of Chicago Press, 1999, winner of the Richard F. Fenno award for the best book on legislative politics), The Dysfunctional Congress? The Individual Roots of an Institutional Dilemma (with Ken Mayer; Westview Press, 1999), Actors, Athletes, and Astronauts: Political Amateurs in the U.S. Congress (University of Chicago Press, 1990), American Politics Today (with William Bianco, WW Norton, 2017), several edited books, and various articles and book chapters. He co-edits a book series on legislative politics with the University of Michigan Press and also served as the Congress editor of Legislative Studies Quarterly. In September he will be the editor of the Election Law Journal. His has won several teaching awards, including the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.He has been married to his wife Sarah for 30 years and they have three children. David and Sarah are members of Advent Lutheran Church in Madison.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org