GVPT Ph.D. Student Reginald Pulley Recognized for Research on Race, Policy, and Political Behavior

Reginald Pulley is a current Ph.D. student in the Department of Government & Politics (GVPT) whose research pulses with the realities he’s seen in his own life. 

Growing up in Baltimore, he watched the city grapple with systemic inequalities in funding and governance—experiences that sparked an ongoing dedication to politics and its role in shaping the lives of everyday people. The 2015 Baltimore uprisings left a lasting mark on him. “It made me realize that more people need to understand politics, to see how decisions affect their communities, and why engagement matters,” he reflects.

A transfer student, Pulley followed his advisor, Dr. Periloux Peay, Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies and affiliated faculty in GVPT, to UMD where he could continue pursuing political science and dive deep into the issues that matter most to him. At UMD, he also works with Dr. Chryl Laird, whose guidance as his advisor continues to shape his scholarly path. That move set the stage for a remarkable year of accomplishments, including coauthoring two major publications and winning a Best Poster Award at the prestigious Boulder PRIEC.

Pulley’s research centers on the cycle of politics: how people experience policies, how those experiences shape political knowledge, and how that knowledge, in turn, drives decisions that affect communities. “I’m fascinated by the feedback loop in politics,” he says. “It’s in that cycle where African Americans gain political sophistication—through lived experiences, observing policy outcomes, and participating in the system.”

His work includes The Foresight of Frontlash, coauthored with his very own mentor, Periloux C. Peay, which examines how liberal states developed punitive policies distinct from conservative states, using network analysis to map these complex interactions. He explains, “It’s not just about ideology. It’s about how political power, policy, and elections interact. Both sides adapt, and those adaptations shape people’s lives in very real ways.”

In another study, Partisanship and Racial Affect Among Black and Latine Americans, Pulley and his coauthors, Hope Martinez and Judd R. Thornton, explore the intersection of political affiliation and racial perceptions. “We saw how partisan identity influences attitudes toward racial groups, shaping not just policy preferences but how people understand who belongs where in politics,” he notes. His research emphasizes how political dynamics are experienced in everyday life, especially by communities of color.

And then there’s his award-winning poster at Boulder PRIEC on Black reparations. Pulley examined decades of federal proposals to study reparations and found a shocking pattern: even with public support and activism, substantive policy rarely passes. “It’s about uncovering what happens when communities push for change,” he says. “Black people show up, protest, vote, support candidates—but the policy often remains symbolic. My goal is to understand that process and put these experiences into the literature.”

What sets Pulley apart isn’t just his scholarship, but his relentless curiosity and dedication to mentorship. He’s shared his expertise in data and research methods through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), an American political and social science research consortium, during their first program hosting at an HBCU, helping others develop the tools to navigate complex data landscapes. “Data is the world,” he says. “I want to help the next generation, especially young Black scholars, show up and push research forward.”

Despite his accomplishments, Pulley is laser-focused on what’s next: completing his candidacy, developing his dissertation, and refining the questions that drive his work. “I love working on papers, presenting at conferences, getting feedback—it’s like my opportunity to get to the league. I played basketball growing up, and while I didn’t go pro, my research is my way of competing, growing, and pushing myself to the highest level. This is how I contribute, how I make an impact.”

For students looking to follow in his footsteps, Pulley has one piece of advice: “Be vocal. Share what you want, even if you don’t know exactly what that is. GVPT faculty show up for students. If you have the drive and curiosity, opportunities will come, and they will guide you, challenge you, and support you.”

Reginald Pulley’s work is a reminder of why scholarship matters—not just in journals and conferences, but in the communities and lives it touches. His research, energy, and vision showcase what GVPT represents: tackling today’s most pressing political challenges with rigor, thoughtfulness, and a commitment to making a difference.

Read The Foresight of Frontlash

Read Partisanship and Racial Affect Among Black and Latine Americans

 

Published on Tue, 11/11/2025 - 10:52