Chappell Lawson

Chappell Lawson

Associate Professor of Political Science

CV

Homeland security; Mexico; leadership; voting; media; political communication.

Biography

Chappell Lawson is an Associate Professor of Political Science at MIT. Professor Lawson's recent work has focused on homeland security policy, Mexican politics, the effect of candidates' physical appearance on their electoral success, and political leadership.

From September 2009 through February 2011, Professor Lawson was on leave from MIT as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, serving as Executive Director and Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Before joining the MIT faculty, he served briefly as a Director of Inter-American Affairs on the National Security Council staff during the Clinton Administration.

Professor Lawson was a National Fellow at The Hoover Institution, Stanford University (2002-2003) and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies at the University of California, San Diego (1998-99). He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1999 and his AB from Princeton (the Woodrow Wilson School) in 1989.

Research

Professor Lawson has a longstanding interest in Mexican politics and U.S.-Mexican relations. Among other academic work, he led four large-scale electoral panel studies in Mexico, covering the 1997 Mexico City mayoral election, the 2000 general election (panel data, postelection data), the 2006 general election, and the 2012 general election. Professor Lawson’s recent research has focused on homeland security.

Recent Publications

"An Improvised Patchwork: Success and Failure in Cybersecurity Policy for Critical Infrastructure," Public Administration Review (with Sean Atkins) accepted. (methods appendix pdf)

"Looking the Part: Television Leads Less Informed Citizens to Vote Based on Candidates' Appearance," American Journal of Political Science (with Gabriel S. Lenz) 55 (3): 574-589. July 2011. (pdf)

"Consolidating Mexico's Democracy: The 2006 Presidential Campaign in Comparative Perspective," (Johns Hopkins University Press, Forthcoming)

"Building the Fourth Estate: Democratization and Media Opening in Mexico," (University of California Press). 2002.

"Mexico's Pivotal Democratic Election," (Stanford University Press), co-edited with Jorge Domínguez. 2003.

"Looking Like a Winner: Candidate Appearance and Electoral Success in New Democracies" World Politics, (with Gabriel S. Lenz, Andy Baker and Michael Myers) 62 (4): 560-593. 2010. (pdf)

"Effects of Interviewer Gender in In-Person Interviews," International Journal of Public Opinion Research (with Francisco Flores-Macías), 20 (100-110). 2008. (pdf)

Homeland Security

Mexican Politics (selected)

Candidate Appearance (selected)

Media Freedom (selected)

  • Chappell Lawson. Building the Fourth Estate: Democratization and Media Opening in Mexico. 2002. University of California Press.
  • Chappell Lawson. “Election Coverage in Mexico: Crony Capitalism and its Contradictions” in Lynda Lee Kaid and Jesper Strömbäck, eds. Handbook of Election Coverage Around the World. 2008. Routledge.
  • Chappell Lawson and Sallie Hughes. “Latin America’s Post-Authoritarian Media Systems. Chapter 8 in Andrew Milton and Rachel May, eds.” (Un) Civil Societies: Human Rights and Democratic Transitions in Eastern Europe and Latin America. 2005. Lexington Books.

Scholars and Government

  • Chappell Lawson. “What Scholars Bring to Government and Back Again.” In Abraham Lowenthal and Mariano Bertucci, eds. Scholars, Policymakers and International Affairs: Finding Common Cause. 2014. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Teaching

17.50 (formerly 17.500) Introduction to Comparative Politics
17.588 Field Seminar in Comparative Politics
17.S953

Political Leadership

Tools for Academic Engagement in Public Policy (edX): Designed by Professor Lawson, this short online class is for scholars and researchers interested in affecting the policy community.

 

News

3 Questions: Chappell Lawson on U.S. security policy

Peter Dizikes MIT News

The year 2020 has featured an array of safety and security concerns for ordinary Americans, including disease and natural disasters. How can the U.S. government best protect its citizens? That is the focus of a new scholarly book with practical aims, “Beyond 9/11: Homeland Security for the Twenty-First Century,” published by the MIT Press. The volume features chapters written by 19 security experts, and closely examines the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was created after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

International Policy Lab issues new call for proposals

Dan Pomeroy, International Policy Lab

The International Policy Lab (IPL) within the Center for International Studies has issued its third Institute-wide call for proposals. The IPL helps leading MIT researchers develop the policy implications of their research and better inform the policymaking community in the United States and abroad. It provides funding and staff support for translating scholarly work into digestible, policy-relevant materials and for direct outreach to policymakers.

Chappell Lawson

Panel 4: Conducting research at MIT: What is uniue about being a Political Scientist here?

Biography

Chappell Lawson is an Associate Professor of Political Science at MIT. Professor Lawson's recent work has focused on homeland security policy, Mexican politics, the effect of candidates' physical appearance on their electoral success, and political leadership.

From September 2009 through February 2011, Professor Lawson was on leave from MIT as a political appointee in the Obama Administration, serving as Executive Director and Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Before joining the MIT faculty, he served briefly as a Director of Inter-American Affairs on the National Security Council staff during the Clinton Administration.

Professor Lawson was a National Fellow at The Hoover Institution, Stanford University (2002-2003) and a Visiting Research Fellow at the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies at the University of California, San Diego (1998-99). He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1999 and his AB from Princeton (the Woodrow Wilson School) in 1989.

Research

Professor Lawson has a longstanding interest in Mexican politics and U.S.-Mexican relations. Among other academic work, he led four large-scale electoral panel studies in Mexico, covering the 1997 Mexico City mayoral election, the 2000 general election (panel data, postelection data), the 2006 general election, and the 2012 general election. Professor Lawson’s recent research has focused on homeland security.

Recent Publications

"An Improvised Patchwork: Success and Failure in Cybersecurity Policy for Critical Infrastructure," Public Administration Review (with Sean Atkins) accepted. (methods appendix pdf)

"Looking the Part: Television Leads Less Informed Citizens to Vote Based on Candidates' Appearance," American Journal of Political Science (with Gabriel S. Lenz) 55 (3): 574-589. July 2011. (pdf)

"Consolidating Mexico's Democracy: The 2006 Presidential Campaign in Comparative Perspective," (Johns Hopkins University Press, Forthcoming)

"Building the Fourth Estate: Democratization and Media Opening in Mexico," (University of California Press). 2002.

"Mexico's Pivotal Democratic Election," (Stanford University Press), co-edited with Jorge Domínguez. 2003.

"Looking Like a Winner: Candidate Appearance and Electoral Success in New Democracies" World Politics, (with Gabriel S. Lenz, Andy Baker and Michael Myers) 62 (4): 560-593. 2010. (pdf)

"Effects of Interviewer Gender in In-Person Interviews," International Journal of Public Opinion Research (with Francisco Flores-Macías), 20 (100-110). 2008. (pdf)

Homeland Security

Mexican Politics (selected)

Candidate Appearance (selected)

Media Freedom (selected)

  • Chappell Lawson. Building the Fourth Estate: Democratization and Media Opening in Mexico. 2002. University of California Press.
  • Chappell Lawson. “Election Coverage in Mexico: Crony Capitalism and its Contradictions” in Lynda Lee Kaid and Jesper Strömbäck, eds. Handbook of Election Coverage Around the World. 2008. Routledge.
  • Chappell Lawson and Sallie Hughes. “Latin America’s Post-Authoritarian Media Systems. Chapter 8 in Andrew Milton and Rachel May, eds.” (Un) Civil Societies: Human Rights and Democratic Transitions in Eastern Europe and Latin America. 2005. Lexington Books.

Scholars and Government

  • Chappell Lawson. “What Scholars Bring to Government and Back Again.” In Abraham Lowenthal and Mariano Bertucci, eds. Scholars, Policymakers and International Affairs: Finding Common Cause. 2014. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Teaching

17.50 (formerly 17.500) Introduction to Comparative Politics
17.588 Field Seminar in Comparative Politics
17.S953

Political Leadership

Tools for Academic Engagement in Public Policy (edX): Designed by Professor Lawson, this short online class is for scholars and researchers interested in affecting the policy community.

 

News

3 Questions: Chappell Lawson on U.S. security policy

Peter Dizikes MIT News

The year 2020 has featured an array of safety and security concerns for ordinary Americans, including disease and natural disasters. How can the U.S. government best protect its citizens? That is the focus of a new scholarly book with practical aims, “Beyond 9/11: Homeland Security for the Twenty-First Century,” published by the MIT Press. The volume features chapters written by 19 security experts, and closely examines the role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which was created after the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S.

International Policy Lab issues new call for proposals

Dan Pomeroy, International Policy Lab

The International Policy Lab (IPL) within the Center for International Studies has issued its third Institute-wide call for proposals. The IPL helps leading MIT researchers develop the policy implications of their research and better inform the policymaking community in the United States and abroad. It provides funding and staff support for translating scholarly work into digestible, policy-relevant materials and for direct outreach to policymakers.

Chappell Lawson

Panel 4: Conducting research at MIT: What is uniue about being a Political Scientist here?