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"Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife."
~ John Dewey
Cameron Arnzen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Central College, where he teaches courses on American politics, political behavior, and public policy. Cam is also a research affiliate at Brown University's Annenberg Institute and the Realizing Rights Lab, a multidisciplinary research lab devoted to understanding how individuals come to understand and exercise their rights.
Cameron Arnzen is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at North Central College, where he teaches courses on American politics, political behavior, and public policy. Cam is also a research affiliate at Brown University's Annenberg Institute and the Realizing Rights Lab, a multidisciplinary research lab devoted to understanding how individuals come to understand and exercise their rights.
His research sits at the intersection of political science and education policy, examining how education systems shape citizens' political participation and how institutional design in education governance affects democratic access. His work spans voter behavior in school board elections, administrative burdens in accessing public services, and the politics of federalism in education policy. His research has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, such as Governance, Electoral Studies, Journal of Political Science Education, Policy Studies Journal, and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. His work has also been published in several peer-reviewed education journals such as AERA Open and Peabody Journal of Education.
His research sits at the intersection of political science and education policy, examining how education systems shape citizens' political participation and how institutional design in education governance affects democratic access. His work spans voter behavior in school board elections, administrative burdens in accessing public services, and the politics of federalism in education policy. His research has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, such as Governance, Electoral Studies, Journal of Political Science Education, Policy Studies Journal, and Publius: The Journal of Federalism. His work has also been published in several peer-reviewed education journals such as AERA Open and Peabody Journal of Education.
He holds a Ph.D. is in Politics & Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Political Science from Duke University, and a B.A. in Political Economy from The College of Idaho.
He holds a Ph.D. is in Politics & Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Political Science from Duke University, and a B.A. in Political Economy from The College of Idaho.
Areas of Expertise:
Areas of Expertise:
American Politics, Politics of Education, Public Policy, Political Behavior; Civic Engagement & Education
American Politics, Politics of Education, Public Policy, Political Behavior; Civic Engagement & Education
My research examines how educational institutions shape democratic participation and how citizens shape the governance of public education. I focus particularly on the politics of education governance, administrative ease in democratic participation, and the role of schools in producing civic engagement.
My research examines how educational institutions shape democratic participation and how citizens shape the governance of public education. I focus particularly on the politics of education governance, administrative ease in democratic participation, and the role of schools in producing civic engagement.
Across several projects, I combine original data—including school board election exit polls and web-scraped district information—with large administrative datasets to understand how institutional design shapes citizens’ access to democratic participation.
Across several projects, I combine original data—including school board election exit polls and web-scraped district information—with large administrative datasets to understand how institutional design shapes citizens’ access to democratic participation.
Publications
Publications
Recent Publications
2026. “Neighborhood Democracy: The Politicization of School Boards and Implications for Democratic Education.” w/ Rebecca Jacobsen. (Forthcoming at AERA Open)
2026. "Education & The Gender Voting Gap in U.S. Presidential Elections" with Sarah Cohodes.
2026. "An Education in Devolution: Lessons from the Dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education." Publius: The Journal of Federalism.
2026. "Education and the Unequal Costs of Voting: Administrative Burden and Democratic Participation." Policy Studies Journal.
2025. “Administrative Designs and Access to Political Arenas in Public Education.” Governance.
2025. "Teaching About Schooling: Integrating Education Politics into Political Science Curricula." Journal of Political Science Education.
Papers Under Reveiw & Working Papers
"A National Measure of School District Partisanship for the 2016 to 2024 Presidential Elections" w/ Josh Almes (Working Paper)
"Are Rural Attitudes Exceptional in a Polarized Education Landscape?" w/ David Houston (Working Paper)
“The Influence of Partisanship in Local School Board Elections: Evidence from Exit Polls in Two States.” w/ Rebecca Jacobsen (Working Paper)
"The Politics of Administrative Ease: Access to Special Education Information." w/ Lindsey Kaler, Alex Contreras, Bryan Natividad, Niamh Stull, and Susan Moffitt (Working Paper)
Ongoing Research Projects
Ongoing Research Projects
K12 US School District Partisanship (w/ Josh Almes)
The Politics of Administrative Ease (w/ Susan Moffitt, Lindsey Kaler)
The Effects of the Dissolution of the Department of Education (w/ Lindsey Kaler, Niamh Stull, & Susan Moffitt)
d/Deaf Political Attitudes & Participation
The Effects of Colleges on Voting (w/ Isabel McMullen)
Local Endorsements in School Board Elections (w/ Ariell Bertrand and Rebecca Jacobsen)
Contentious School Board Politics & Democratic Education of Youth (w/ Rebecca Jacobsen)
Defining Citizenship: A Typology of U.S. State-Level Civic Education Policy (w/ Chloe O'Neill)
Dissertation Defense & Committee
Dissertation Defense & Committee
Dissertation Title: "Education for Democracy: Essays Exploring the Relationship Between Education and Voting"
Conversation on Doctoral Student Success
Conversation on Doctoral Student Success
Teachers College, Columbia University
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