Professor Michael Hanmer from the Department of Government and Politics (GVPT) has been named Research Director for the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement (CDCE) as of July 1.

Hanmer, a faculty member in GVPT since 2007, conducts research primarily on political participation, public opinion and political methodology. He is on the advisory board for the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, is a member of the TerpsVote steering committee and co-directs the Washington Post-UMD poll, work that he will continue in his new role at CDCE.

“I am excited to be part of the important work at CDCE, which is already leading the way in understanding public attitudes about COVID-19 and governmental responses,” Hanmer said. “As we near the 2020 elections, the need for more research on the public health crisis and how it interacts with issues of racial justice is essential. I look forward to working to ensure CDCE is at the forefront of these efforts.”

Hanmer teaches a course on political science survey research methods that combines traditional academic learning with real-world experience designing survey questions, fielding them, analyzing the data, and reporting the results.

Hanmer is also the author of Discount Voting: Voter Registration Laws and Their Effects and co-author of Voting Technology: The Not-So-Simple Act of Casting a Ballot. He has published articles on a variety of topics related to elections such as voter registration, absentee voting, voting-by-mail, ballot design, college student voting, early voting, public agency registration, and voter identification laws.

“CDCE is very fortunate to have someone with Dr. Hanmer’s abilities and expertise formally join the center leadership as research director,” said CDCE Director Stella Rouse. Dr. Hanmer’s work on political participation and public opinion, especially his efforts to understand and close the voting gap between younger and older citizens, is vital to improving the health of our democracy. He will be a tremendous asset for advancing the Center’s mission.”

Established in 2019, the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement is committed to increasing civility, transparency and efficiency in American politics, leveraging its location near Washington, D.C. close to federal government offices, think tanks and other organizations’ national headquarters.