Section 42 - American Political Science Association (APSA)

Experimental Research Section Award Recipients

More on the Experimental Research section

Best Book Award
Best Dissertation Award
Best Paper Award
Rebecca Morton Award for Best JEPS Article
Public Service Award
Best New Replication Paper
Best Article with a Preregistration Award

Best Book Award

The Best Book Award recognizes the best book published in the previous calendar year that either uses or is about experimental research methods in the study of politics.

2025	William G. Nomikos, University of California, Santa Barbara Local Peace, International Builders: How UN Peacekeeping Builds Peace from the Bottom Up. Cambridge University Press, 2025.
2024	Graeme Blair, University of California, Los Angeles Alexander Coppock, Yale University Macartan Humphreys, Columbia University Declare Design: Declaration, Diagnosis, and Redesign, Princeton University Press, 2023.
2024	Adam Michael Auerbach, American University Tariq Thachil, University of Pennsylavnia Migrants and Machine Politics: How India’s Urban Poor Seek Representation and Responsiveness, Princeton University Press, 2023.
2023	Donghyun Danny Choi, Brown University Native Bias: Overcoming Discrimination Against Immigrants. Princeton University Press, 2022.
2023	Mathias Poertner, London School of Economics Native Bias: Overcoming Discrimination Against Immigrants. Princeton University Press, 2022.
2023	Nicholas Sambanis, University of Pennsylvania Native Bias: Overcoming Discrimination Against Immigrants. Princeton University Press, 2022.
2023	Jamie Druckman, Northwestern University Experimental Thinking: A Primer on Social Science Experiments. Cambridge University Press, 2022.
2022	James Druckman, Northwestern University Advances in Experimental Political Science. Cambridge U Press, 2021.
2022	Donald P. Green, Columbia Unviersity Advances in Experimental Political Science. Cambridge U Press, 2021.
2022	Cigdem Sirin, University of Texas, El Paso Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy. Cambridge U Press, 2021.
2022	Nicholas Valentino, University of Michigan Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy. Cambridge U Press, 2021.
2022	Jose Villalobos, University of Texas, El Paso Seeing Us in Them: Social Divisions and the Politics of Group Empathy. Cambridge U Press, 2021.
2021	Ana Bracic, Michigan State University Breaking the Exclusion Cycle: How to Promote Cooperation between Majority and Minority Ethnic Groups. Oxford University Press, 2020.
2020	Thad Dunning, University of California, Berkeley Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2020	Guy Grossmann, University of Pennsylvania Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2020	Macartan Humphreys, Columbia University and WZB Berlin Social Science Center Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2020	Susan D. Hyde, University of California, Berkeley Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2020	Craig McIntosh, University of California, San Diego Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2020	Gareth Nellis, University of California, San Diego Information, Accountability, and Cumulative Learning: Lessons from Metaketa I. Cambridge U Press, 2019.
2019	Jaime Settle, The College of William & Mary Frenemies: How Social Media Polarizes America. Cambridge University Press, 2018
2018	Ryan Vander Wielen, Temple University Taming Intuition: How Reflection Minimizes Partisan Reasoning and Promotes Democratic Accountability. Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2018	Vin Arceneaux, Temple University Taming Intuition: How Reflection Minimizes Partisan Reasoning and Promotes Democratic Accountability. Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2018	Ryan Enos, Harvard University The Space Between Us: Social Geography and Politics. Cambridge University Press, 2017.
2017	Yanna Krupnikov, Stony Brook University Independent Politics: How American Disdain for Parties Leads to Political Inaction. Chicago University Press, 2016.
2017	Samara Klar, University of Arizona Independent Politics: How American Disdain for Parties Leads to Political Inaction. Chicago University Press, 2016.
2016	Adam Seth Levine, Cornell University American Insecurity: Why Our Economic Fears Lead to Political Inaction. Princeton University Press 2015
2015	Daniel Butler, Washington University in St. Louis Representing the Advantaged: How Politicians Reinforce Inequality. Cambridge University Press
2015	Christopher Karpowitz, Brigham Young University The Silent Sex: Gender, Deliberation, and Institutions. Princeton University Press
2015	Tali Mendelberg, Princeton University The Silent Sex: Gender, Deliberation, and Institutions. Princeton University Press
2014	Milton Lodge Dr., SUNY, Stony Brook University The Rationalizing Voter. Cambridge University Press
2013	Thad Dunning, Yale University Natural Experiments in the Social Sciences(Cambridge University Press, October 2012)
2013	Alan Gerber, Yale University Field Experiments: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation (W.W. Norton & Company, May 2012)
2013	Donald Green, Columbia University Field Experiment: Design, Analysis, and Interpretation (W.W. Norton & Company, May 2012)
2012	James Druckman, Northwestern University Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science (Cambridge University Press, June 2011)
2012	Donald Green, Columbia University Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science (Cambridge University Press, June 2011)
2012	James Kuklinski, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science (Cambridge University Press, 2011)
2012	Arthur Lupia, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Political Science (Cambridge University Press, June 2011)
2011	Rebecca Morton, New York University Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality: From Nature to the Lab
2011	Kenneth Williams, Michigan State University Experimental Political Science and the Study of Causality: From Nature to the Lab

Best Dissertation Award

The Best Dissertation Award recognizes the best dissertation completed in the previous calendar year that utilizes experimental methods on substantive questions about politics or makes a fundamental contribution to experimental methods.

2025	Natán Skigin, Harvard University “Challenging Stigma from Below: How Human Rights Movements Contest Repressive States and Shape Democratic Citizenship.”
2024	Lotem Bassan-Nygate, Harvard University “Who is Watching? The Consequences of Foreign Criticism”
2023	Love Christensen, University of Arhus “Uncertainty and Persuasion – Essays on Behavioral Political Economy”
2022	Natalia Garbiras-Díaz, University of California, Berkeley “Paving the way for the rise of outsiders: Candidate and voter behavior in an era of political disillusionment.”
2022	Erin Rossiter, University of Notre Dame “Three Papers on Interpersonal Communication.”
2022	Anna Wilke, Washington University in St. Louis “Essays on the Politics of Maintaining Order.”
2021	Tara Slough, New York University “Essays on the Distributive Politics of Bureaucracy.”
2020	Kyle Peyton, Yale University “Experiments on Legitimacy and Intergroup Relations: Policing, Trust, and Prejudice in the United States”
2020	Honorable Mention Tesalia Rizzo, MIT “Intermediaries of the State: Bureaucratic Transaction Costs of Claiming Welfare in Mexico”
2019	Adam Zelizer, Columbia University “Legislating while learning: How staff briefings, cue-taking, and deliberation help legislators take policy positions.”
2018	Saad Gulzar, Stanford University “Essays on the Political Economy of Development in South Asia.”
2018	Pia Raffler, Harvard University “Information, Accountability, and Political Elite Behavior.”
2017	Alex Coppock, Yale University “Positive, Small, Homogeneous, and Durable: Political Persuasion in Response to Information.”
2016	Eun Bin Chung, The Ohio State University “Overcoming the History Problem: Group-Affirmation in International Relations.”
2015	Meredith L. Sadin, Princeton University “A Wealth of Ambivalence: How Stereotypes About the Rich Matter for Political Attitudes and Candidate Choice”
2014	Samara Klar, Northwestern University “The Influence of Identity on Political Preferences.”
2013	Meghan Condon, Loyola University, Chicago “Practice Makes Participants: How Communication Skills Acquired in School Affect Political Engagement”
2013	Gwyneth McClendon, Harvard University “The Politics of Envy and Esteem in Two Democracies”
2011	Andrew Owen, University of British Columbia The Negativity Effect in Retrospective Voting

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award recognizes a paper that was scheduled to be presented at APSA and features experimental research.

2025	Priyadarshi Amar, University of Wisconsin-Madison Sumitra Badrinathan, American University Simon Chauchard, University Carlos III Madrid Florian Sichart, Princeton University “Countering Misinformation Early: Evidence from a Classroom-Based Field Experiment in India.” Presented at the 2024 APSA Annual Meeting.
2024	Naoki Egami, Columbia University Diana Da In Lee, Columbia University “Designing Multi-Site Studies for External Validity: Site Selection via Synthetic Purposive Sampling”
2023	Rajeshwari Majumdar, New York University “Reducing Prejudice and Support for Religious Nationalism Through Conversations on WhatsApp”
2023	Jonathan Nagler, New York University “Reducing Prejudice and Support for Religious Nationalism Through Conversations on WhatsApp”
2023	Joshua Tucker, New York University “Reducing Prejudice and Support for Religious Nationalism Through Conversations on WhatsApp”
2023	Richard Bonneau, New York University “Reducing Prejudice and Support for Religious Nationalism Through Conversations on WhatsApp”
2023	Chagai M. Weiss, Stanford University “Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Field Experiments in Israel Show that Education Programs that Broach Sensitive Topics Can Reduce Prejudice”
2023	Shira Ran, Hebrew University “Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Field Experiments in Israel Show that Education Programs that Broach Sensitive Topics Can Reduce Prejudice”
2023	Eran Halperin; Hebrew University “Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Field Experiments in Israel Show that Education Programs that Broach Sensitive Topics Can Reduce Prejudice”
2022	Nicholas Haas, Aarhus University “My History or Our History? Historical Revisionism and Enticement to Lead.”
2022	Emmy Lindstam, University of Mannheim “My History or Our History? Historical Revisionism and Enticement to Lead.”
2021	Robert A. Blair, Brown University “After Rebel Governance: A Field Experiment in Security and Justice Provision in Rural Colombia.”
2021	Manuel Moscoso, Brown University “After Rebel Governance: A Field Experiment in Security and Justice Provision in Rural Colombia.”
2021	Andres Vargas Castillo, Yale University “After Rebel Governance: A Field Experiment in Security and Justice Provision in Rural Colombia.”
2021	Michael Weintraub, Universidad de los Andes “After Rebel Governance: A Field Experiment in Security and Justice Provision in Rural Colombia.”
2021	Honorable Mention Mathias Poertner, Texas A&M University and London School of Economics and Political Science “Does Political Representation Increase Participation? Evidence from Party Candidate Lotteries in Mexico.”
2020	Salma Mousa, Stanford University “Creating Coexistence: Intergroup Contact and Soccer in Post-ISIS Iraq.”
2020	Honorable Mention Asad Liaqat, Harvard University “No representation without information”
2019	Pia Raffler, Harvard University “The Weakness of Bottom-Up Accountability: Experimental Evidence from the Ugandan Health Sector.”
2019	Daniel Posner, University of California, Los Angeles “The Weakness of Bottom-Up Accountability: Experimental Evidence from the Ugandan Health Sector.”
2019	Doug Parkerson, Innovations for Poverty Action “The Weakness of Bottom-Up Accountability: Experimental Evidence from the Ugandan Health Sector.”
2018	Kristin Michelitch, Vanderbilt University “Information Dissemination, Competitive Pressure and Politician Performance between Elections: A Field Experiment in Uganda.”
2018	Guy Grossman, University of Pennsylvania “Information Dissemination, Competitive Pressure and Politician Performance between Elections: A Field Experiment in Uganda.”
2017	Conor M. Dowling, University of Mississippi “The Effects of Candidate Race and Gender on Party Chairs’ Assessment of Electoral Viability.”
2017	Michael G. Miller, Barnard College, Columbia University “The Effects of Candidate Race and Gender on Party Chairs’ Assessment of Electoral Viability.”
2017	David Doherty, Loyola University Chicago “The Effects of Candidate Race and Gender on Party Chairs’ Assessment of Electoral Viability.”
2016	David Broockman, Stanford University “The Causal Effects of Elite Position-Taking on Voter Attitudes: Field Experiments with Elite Communication.”
2016	Daniel Butler, Washington University in St. Louis “The Causal Effects of Elite Position-Taking on Voter Attitudes: Field Experiments with Elite Communication.”
2015	Thomas Leeper, Aarhas University “What If You Had Done Things Differently? Testing the Generalizability of Framing Effects with Parallel Experiments”
2015	Kevin Mullinix, Appalachian State University “What If You Had Done Things Differently? Testing the Generalizability of Framing Effects with Parallel Experiments”
2014	Jeffrey Conroy-Krutz, Michigan State University “Mobilization of Media? A Field Experiment on Partisan Media Effects in Africa.”
2014	Devra Moehler, University of Pennsylvania “Mobilization of Media? A Field Experiment on Partisan Media Effects in Africa.”
2013	Michael Findley, University of Texas, Austin “Causes of Non-Compliance with International Law: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Financial Transparency”
2013	Daniel Nielson, Brigham Young University “Causes of Non-Compliance with International Law: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Financial Transparency”
2013	Jason Sharman, Griffith University “Causes of Non-Compliance with International Law: Evidence from a Field Experiment on Financial Transparency”
2012	Jennifer Jerit, Florida State University Comparing Treatment Effects in Parallel Experiments
2012	Jason Barabas, Florida State University Comparing Treatment Effects in Parallel Experiments
2012	Scott Clifford, Florida State University Comparing Treatment Effects in Parallel Experiments
2011	Michael Tomz, Stanford University Candidate Repositioning
2011	Robert Van Houweling, University of California Berkeley Candidate Repositioning

Rebecca Morton Best Paper in JEPS Award

This award is for the best research article published in the previous year in the Journal of Experimental Political Science.

2025	Frederico Batista Pereira, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Natália S. Bueno, Emory University Felipe Nunes, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Nara Pavão, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco “Inoculation Reduces Misinformation: Experimental Evidence from Multidimensional Interventions in Brazil.” Journal of Experimental Political Science 11(3): 239-250. 2023.
2024	Catie Snow Bailard, George Washington University Matthew Graham, Temple University Kimberly Gross, George Washington University Ethan Porter, George Washington University Rebekah Tromble, George Washington University “Combating Hateful Attitudes and Online Browsing Behavior: The Case of Antisemitism.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 2023.
2023	Benjamin A. Lyons, University of Utah “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Christina Farhart, Carleton College “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Michael Hall, University of Michigan “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	John Kotcher, George Mason University “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Mathew Levendusky, University of Pennsylvania “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Joanne Miller, University of Delaware “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth College “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Kaitlin Raimi, University of Michigan “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Jason Reifler, University of Exeter “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Kyle Saunders, Colorado State University “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Rasmus Skytte, Arhus University “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2023	Xiaoquan Zhao, George Mason University “Self-Affirmation and Identity-Driven Political Behavior”
2022	Donghyun Danny Choi, Brown University “Linguistic Assimilation Does Not Reduce Discrimination Against Immigrants: Evidence from Germany.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 8(3).
2022	Mathias Poertner, London School of Economics and Political Science “Linguistic Assimilation Does Not Reduce Discrimination Against Immigrants: Evidence from Germany.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 8(3).
2022	Nicholas Sambanis, University of Pennsylvania “Linguistic Assimilation Does Not Reduce Discrimination Against Immigrants: Evidence from Germany.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 8(3).
2021	Florian Foos, London School of Economics “Does Exposure to Gender Role Models Increase Women’s Political Ambition? A Field Experiment with Politicians.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(3): 157-166. Winter 2020.
2021	Fabrizio Dilardi, University of Zurich “Does Exposure to Gender Role Models Increase Women’s Political Ambition? A Field Experiment with Politicians.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(3): 157-166. Winter 2020.

Public Service Award

The Public Service Award recognizes a special form of public service, the facilitation of randomized experiments in political science by those outside the academy.

2023	Linda Stern, National Democracy Institute
2021	David Yokum, The Policy Lab, Brown University
2020	Page Gardner, Voter Participation Center (VPC)
2020	Honorable Mention Dau Anh Tuan, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry
2019	Rebecca Wolfe, Mercy Corps
2018	Matt Morrison, Working America

Best New Replication Paper

This award is for the best article published in the previous year in the Journal of Experimental Political Science that conducts a replication of previously published work.

2025	Rafael Ahlskog, Uppsala University “It Matters What and Where We Measure: Education and Ideology in a Swedish Twin Design.” Journal of Experimental Political Science 11(3): 360-367. 2024.
2024	Bruno Silva, University of Cologne Fabian Neuner, Arizona State University Christopher Wratil, University of Vienna “Populism and Candidate Support in the US: The Effects of ‘Thin’ and ‘Host’ Ideology.”
2023	Christopher Dawes, New York University James Zink, North Carolina State University “Is ‘Constitutional Veneration’ an Obstacle to Constitutional Amendment?”
2021	Costas Panagopoulos, Northeastern University and Kendall Bailey, Northeastern University ‘“Friends-and-Neighbors” Mobilization: A Field Experimental Replication and Extension.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, Volume 7(1),13-26, Spring 2020
2021	Kendall Bailey, Northeastern University ‘“Friends-and-Neighbors” Mobilization: A Field Experimental Replication and Extension.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, Volume 7(1),13-26, Spring 2020

Best Article with a Preregistration Award

This award is the best article published in the previous year in the Journal of Experimental Political Science that conducts analysis that was registered in a pre-analysis plan.

2025	D.G. Kim, Harvard University “The Politicization of COVID-19 and Anti-Asian Racism in the United States: An Experimental Approach.” Journal of Experimental Political Science 11(1): 1-11. 2024.
2024	Love Christensen, Aarhus University “Optimal Persuasion under Confirmation Bias: Theory and Evidence from a Registered Report.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 10(1): 4-20, 2023.
2023	Brendan Apfeld, University of Texas at Austin; Emanuel Coman, Trinity College Dublin; John Gerring, University of Texas at Austin; Stephen Jessee, University of Texas at Austin
2021	Daniel J. Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.
2021	Cheryl R. Kaiser, University of Washington “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.
2021	Efrén O. Pérez, University of California, Los Angeles “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.
2021	Sara Hagá, Universidade de Lisboa; “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.
2021	Corin Ramos, University of Texas at El Paso “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.
2021	Michael Zárate, University of Texas at El Paso “Does Perceiving Discrimination Influence Partisanship among U.S. Immigrant Minorities? Evidence from Five Experiments.” Journal of Experimental Political Science, 7(2): 112 – 136, Summer 2020.