Jesse T. Clark
PhD Candidate
Department of Political Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I study American politics, focusing on the intersection political behavior and institutions in order to better understand the causes and consequences of changes to the American electoral system. I will defend my dissertation in the spring before starting as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton in the summer of 2021.


Results of an experiment in which respondents were provided a slate of candidates and randomly assigned to vote using ranked-choice voting or plurality ballots, and subsequently randomly assigned to receive a message of victory or defeat.
Results of an experiment in which respondents were exposed to a simulated article on internet voting, where in-party cues were randomly assigned to support or oppose the reform.
Recent Publications
Jesse T. Clark, John C. Curiel, and Tyler Steelman. 2021. "Minmaxing of Bayesian Improved Surname Geocoding and Geography Level Ups in Predicting Race." Political Analysis. Conditionally Accepted
Powell, Richard J., Jesse T. Clark and Matthew P. Dube. 2020. “Partisan Gerrymandering, Clustering, or Both? A New Approach to a Persistent Question." Election Law Journal 19:1, 79-100. 10.1089/elj.2019.0605
Jesse T. Clark, Matthew P. Dube and Richard J. Powell. 2020. “Stemming the Tide: The Impact of Redistricting on the 2018 Midterm Election." In The Unforeseen Impacts of the 2018 Midterms. Tauna S. Sisco, Jennifer C. Lucas, Christopher J. Galdieri (eds.). Palgrave Pivot, Cham. 10.1007/978-3-030-37940-7
My work has been conditionally accepted at Political Analysis and has recently been featured in Election Law Journal and The Unforseen Impacts of the 2018 US Midterms (Palgrave)