I am a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy at Brown University. I study American Politics through the lens of political psychology, in particular focusing on the role partisanship plays in shaping voters’ attitudes and behaviors, even to the extent it can be harmful to democracy as a whole.
My main project looks at the use of constitutional hardball—legal acts that still violate democratic norms—and how best to deal with its impacts on democratic health. I am also researching voters’ level of support for candidates who endorse political violence and what impact that endorsement has on broader political norms.
I completed my Ph.D. in Political Science (2025) at the University of California, Irvine and my M.A. in General Experimental Psychology (2015) at California State University, Northridge. I was previously a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Central Arkansas.
William Kidd 