Dr. Connor Phillips

Biography

Connor Halloran Phillips is an Assistant Teaching Professor at the Carnegie Mellon Institute Strategy & Technology (CMIST), where he teaches courses on American politics. His research focuses on interest groups, political parties, legislatures, and elections, particularly how federalism shapes partisan polarization and voter participation. Dr. Phillips' current work analyzes the campaign contributions and ratings of state legislators to understand the strategies that interest groups employ to engage in politics and assess their role in promoting polarization at the state level. He is also investigating the impact of state and local electoral rules on party registration and turnout, as well as the growing extremism within state legislatures and its influence on the ideological positions of candidates in Congress. Born in Pittsburgh, Dr. Phillips received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Duke University, followed by a Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University. Before joining CMU, he served as a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University and Vanderbilt University. He is affiliated with the Center for Effective Lawmaking, which aims to measure and improve legislative effectiveness in both Congress and state legislatures.

Research Interests

Courses