Michael Nelson is an Associate Professor of Political Science. He specializes in American politics, state politics, and judicial politics. His research examines the effects of judicial elections on the development of the law as well as the determinants and effects of public support for state and federal courts in the United States. Michael holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Drake University. His research has been published or is forthcoming in the American Journal of Political Science, the Journal of Law and Courts, Political Research Quarterly, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, and Judicature.