My name is Jonathan M. King and I am an Assistant Professor in Political Science at West Virginia University. Prior to joining WVU in 2023, I earned my Ph.D. at Michigan State University.

My research interests are in American political institutions, particularly the federal judiciary. In my work, I examine 1) who is selected to become federal judges and the dynamics that influence the confirmation process and 2) how interactions between judges or justices influence judicial decision-making and the public's reaction to judicial outcomes. My research has been published in Political Research Quarterly,  the Journal of Law and Courts, Justice System Journal, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and has been supported by National Science Foundation Collaborative Research and Dissertation Improvement grants.

My teaching focuses on the judiciary and law and quantitative research methods. Specifically, I teach courses on judicial politics, constitutional law, and law and society, and have taught introductory quantitative methods courses in the past. On top of teaching, I love working with undergraduate and graduate students on independent research projects.

Prior to attending graduate school, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and worked as an academic advisor. Outside of research, I spend as much time as possible with my daughter, wife, and two golden retrievers (Leslie and Perkins). I am a huge Wisconsin sports fan, having been born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and am an avid fan of the Green Bay Packers, Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Bucks. I am a die-hard fan of Chelsea Football Club and happily spend my (very early) Saturday mornings watching them play.

For more information about my work, visit my Research page or contact me, my email is jonathan.king@mail.wvu.edu