Peter Hanson

Professor

Department chair of Political Science

Offices, Departments, or Centers: Political Science , Grinnell College National Poll ,

Peter Hanson is a Professor of Political Science, a specialist in American politics, and Director of the Grinnell College National Poll. He teaches courses on constitutional law, the U.S. Congress, and populism.

One branch of his research explores the politics of the United States Congress. His book Too Weak to Govern: Majority Party Power in the U.S. Senate (Cambridge 2014) illustrates how parties have adapted the budget process to address the challenges of partisan polarization. His work has been published in Political Research Quarterly, the American Journal of Political Science, The Forum, and in various edited volumes. A second branch of his research explores populist attitudes in the public and their relationship to American democracy.

Hanson received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2010 and his A.B. from Harvard University in 1995. He served on the staff of Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) from 1996 to 2002.

Hanson can be heard regularly on Iowa Public Radio's "River to River" discussing the latest political news.