Michael Auslen

Ph.D. Candidate
Columbia University
Department of Political Science


michael.auslen@columbia.edu

Ph.D. Candidate, Columbia University Department of Political Science
Contact: michael.auslen@columbia.edu

I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at Columbia University, studying American politics and quantitative methods. I will be a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin for the 2024-25 academic year before joining the department as an Assistant Professor in fall 2025.

My research focuses on democratic representation, the media, and public opinion's role in policymaking, with an emphasis on state and local politics. I am particularly interested in understanding how actors such as local news organizations and political parties enhance or weaken the links between the public and elected representatives.

Some of my ongoing research projects show how, despite dramatic contraction in recent decades, local news continues to play an important institutional role in producing responsiveness and accountability in policymaking. However, I also uncover evidence that suggests a need for new theories about how the press shapes political accountability.

Previously, I worked as a journalist covering state and local politics for the Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, and Indianapolis Star.

I hold a Master in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and completed my undergraduate studies in Journalism and Political Science at Indiana University.