Michael Latner

Associate Professor | Political Science Department

Areas of Expertise

Voting Rights

Political Participation

Representation

Electoral System Design

Civic Technology 

Contact Information

805.756.2978

Email

Department Website | Website

Biography

Michael Latner is an associate professor of political science. He has taught a range of courses since joining Cal Poly in 2007, including classes on American and California government, political participation, campaigns and elections, California politics, evolutionary theory and politics, and public policy. Latner is a 2017-19 Kendall Science Fellow, working on voting rights at the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Center for Science and Democracy in Washington, D.C. Latner has received national professional recognition, including the Common Cause Redistricting Competition award and the Wilma Rule Award from Californians for Electoral Reform, and is frequently quoted in local and national media. He is active in the electoral reform movement, conducting several studies on the impact of changes in electoral systems on representation and political participation.

Education

• Ph.D., University of California at Irvine, Political Science
• M.A., University of California at Irvine, Political Science
• B.A., California State University Chico, Political Science

Recent Publications

• Diagnosing Electoral Integrity
• Building a Healthier Democracy: The Link Between Voting Rights and Environmental Justice 
• Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, The Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty