Adam Berinsky

Adam Berinsky

Mitsui Professor of Political Science

Director of the MIT Political Experiments Research Lab (PERL)

CV

Survey research; political methodology; political behavior; public opinion; American politics; political rumors; misinformation; survey methodology; experimental research.

Biography

Adam Berinsky is the Mitsui Professor of Political Science at MIT and serves as the director of the MIT Political Experiments Research Lab (PERL). He is also a Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). Berinsky received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2000. He is the author of "Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It" (Princeton University Press, 2023), "In Time of War: Understanding American Public Opinion from World War II to Iraq" (University of Chicago Press, 2009), and "Silent Voices: Public Opinion and Political Participation in America" (Princeton University Press, 2004).  He has published articles in many journals and is currently the co-editor of the Chicago Studies in American Politics book series at the University of Chicago Press. He is the recipient of multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Berinsky was appointed a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow to study how political rumors spread and how they can be effectively debunked.

Research

Berinsky is a specialist in the fields of political behavior and public opinion. His research focuses on the political behavior of ordinary citizens. While he is primarily concerned with questions of representation and the communication of public sentiment to political elites, he has also studied the continuing power of ethnic and racial stereotypes, the effect of voting reforms, survey research methodology, and public opinion concerning foreign policy.

Recent Publications

Edited Books

"New Directions in Public Opinion" (Editor). 2012. Routledge Press.

Articles (Refereed)

“Separating the Shirkers from the Workers? Making Sure Respondents Pay Attention on Self-Administered Surveys” Accepted. American Journal of Political Science (with Michele Margolis and Michael Sances).

“Evaluating Online Labor Markets for Experimental Research: Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk.” Political Analysis. 2012. 20(3): 351-368 (with Gregory Huber and Gabriel Lenz).

“Missing Voices: Polling and Health Care.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 2011. 36(6): 975-987 (with Michele Margolis).

“Education and Political Participation: Exploring the Causal Link.” Political Behavior. 2011. 33(3): 357-373 (with Gabriel Lenz).

“Revisiting Public Opinion in the 1930s and 1940s.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 2011. 44(2):515-520 (with Ellie Powell, Eric Schickler, and Ian Yohai).

“Sex and Race: Are Black Candidates More Likely to Be Disadvantaged by Sex Scandals?”Political Behavior. 2011. 33(2):179-202 (with Vincent Hutchings, Tali Mendelberg, Lee Shaker, and Nicholas Valentino.

Teaching

17.28J The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime
17.200 Graduate Seminar in American Politics
17.265 Public Opinion and American Democracy
17.266 Public Opinion
17.276 Public Opinion Research Training Lab
17.281 Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
17.850 Graduate Scope and Methods (Syllabus)
17.869 Political Science: Scope and Methods

News

What must the US do to sustain its democracy?

Peter Dizikes MIT News

Recent months have been tumultuous for U.S. democracy, in ways that are both novel and yet also connected to conflicts seen throughout the country’s past. MIT News spoke to several of the Institute’s political scientists and historians, and asked them: What must the U.S. do to sustain the health of its democracy?

Threats to Healthy Elections

Experts discuss a variety of threats to a healthy elections process in these unprecedented times and some actions that can be deployed to address and combat these challenges.

Biography

Adam Berinsky is the Mitsui Professor of Political Science at MIT and serves as the director of the MIT Political Experiments Research Lab (PERL). He is also a Faculty Affiliate at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). Berinsky received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2000. He is the author of "Political Rumors: Why We Accept Misinformation and How to Fight It" (Princeton University Press, 2023), "In Time of War: Understanding American Public Opinion from World War II to Iraq" (University of Chicago Press, 2009), and "Silent Voices: Public Opinion and Political Participation in America" (Princeton University Press, 2004).  He has published articles in many journals and is currently the co-editor of the Chicago Studies in American Politics book series at the University of Chicago Press. He is the recipient of multiple grants from the National Science Foundation and was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. Berinsky was appointed a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow to study how political rumors spread and how they can be effectively debunked.

Research

Berinsky is a specialist in the fields of political behavior and public opinion. His research focuses on the political behavior of ordinary citizens. While he is primarily concerned with questions of representation and the communication of public sentiment to political elites, he has also studied the continuing power of ethnic and racial stereotypes, the effect of voting reforms, survey research methodology, and public opinion concerning foreign policy.

Recent Publications

Edited Books

"New Directions in Public Opinion" (Editor). 2012. Routledge Press.

Articles (Refereed)

“Separating the Shirkers from the Workers? Making Sure Respondents Pay Attention on Self-Administered Surveys” Accepted. American Journal of Political Science (with Michele Margolis and Michael Sances).

“Evaluating Online Labor Markets for Experimental Research: Amazon.com's Mechanical Turk.” Political Analysis. 2012. 20(3): 351-368 (with Gregory Huber and Gabriel Lenz).

“Missing Voices: Polling and Health Care.” Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 2011. 36(6): 975-987 (with Michele Margolis).

“Education and Political Participation: Exploring the Causal Link.” Political Behavior. 2011. 33(3): 357-373 (with Gabriel Lenz).

“Revisiting Public Opinion in the 1930s and 1940s.” PS: Political Science and Politics. 2011. 44(2):515-520 (with Ellie Powell, Eric Schickler, and Ian Yohai).

“Sex and Race: Are Black Candidates More Likely to Be Disadvantaged by Sex Scandals?”Political Behavior. 2011. 33(2):179-202 (with Vincent Hutchings, Tali Mendelberg, Lee Shaker, and Nicholas Valentino.

Teaching

17.28J The War at Home: American Politics and Society in Wartime
17.200 Graduate Seminar in American Politics
17.265 Public Opinion and American Democracy
17.266 Public Opinion
17.276 Public Opinion Research Training Lab
17.281 Public Opinion and Foreign Policy
17.850 Graduate Scope and Methods (Syllabus)
17.869 Political Science: Scope and Methods

News

What must the US do to sustain its democracy?

Peter Dizikes MIT News

Recent months have been tumultuous for U.S. democracy, in ways that are both novel and yet also connected to conflicts seen throughout the country’s past. MIT News spoke to several of the Institute’s political scientists and historians, and asked them: What must the U.S. do to sustain the health of its democracy?

Threats to Healthy Elections

Experts discuss a variety of threats to a healthy elections process in these unprecedented times and some actions that can be deployed to address and combat these challenges.