David Beavers
Assistant Professor
PhD Harvard University, 2026
Areas of Expertise: American Politics, Political Communication, Political Psychology, American Political Development, Trust in Institutions, Journalism Studies
David Beavers and Jennifer Hochschild (2026). “Local Experience, National Media, and Misperceptions of the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Political Communication, 43(3), 539-563. doi:10.1080/10584609.2025.2604709
Michael Koliska, Erin Moroney, and David Beavers (2025). “Trust Through Relationships in Journalism.” Journalism Studies, 26(16), 2092-2109. doi:10.1080/1461670X.2023.2209807
Jennifer Hochschild and David Beavers (2022). “Learning from Experience: COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories and Their Implication for Democratic Discourse.” Social Science: International Quarterly, 89(3), 859-886. doi:10.1353/sor.2022.0042
POL 113: American Government and Politics
Explores the nature of electoral and political institutions in the United States, with an emphasis on their historical development, their function in comparative context, and how they impact public opinion formation, representation, and policy outcomes.
POL 210: Misinformation and Conspiracy Theories in American Politics.
Explores the factors that make people vulnerable to misperceptions and conspiracy theories and potential approaches that journalists, civic reformers, government officials, and technology platforms can employ to attenuate the negative effects of misinformation and conspiracy theories on society.