Overview
Professor Johnston teaches courses in public opinion, political behavior, and political methodology, with an emphasis on the application of psychological theory and methods to mass politics. His teaching and research examine the motivational underpinnings of political judgment and decision making. His research appears in a wide range of journals in political science, and he is co-author of The Ambivalent Partisan: How Critical Loyalty Promotes Democracy (2012, Oxford University Press), which won book of the year in mass politics from the International Society of Political Psychology, and book of the year in political psychology from the American Political Science Association.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Political Science
·
2024 - Present
Political Science,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor of Sociology
·
2025 - Present
Sociology,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Recent Scholarly Works
Competing moral minds? Estimating moral disagreement in American politics
Journal article Political Psychology · June 1, 2026 What drives ideological and partisan divisions in contemporary American politics? An influential line of research suggests they are rooted in disagreement about the nature of morality. While the left uses principles of care and fairness in moral judgment, ... Full text CiteLinking personality and policy: The moderating roles of cues and frames
Journal article Political Psychology · April 1, 2026 The mechanisms by which personality shapes political attitudes are underexplored. We examine the interplay among dispositional openness, political engagement, and elite discourse in the context of two key processes that shape public opinion generally: elit ... Full text CiteAn Ideology by Any Other Name
Journal article Political Behavior · March 1, 2025 The terms ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ are prominent features of political discourse in the United States, and many citizens choose to identify with one of these ideological labels. Yet, many citizens do not fit comfortably in either of these categories, a ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Repeated Measure Designs in Survey Experiments
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Rapoport Family Foundation · 2024 - 2025Politics and Polarization in the Methodist Church: A Text Analysis of Sermons
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Social Science Research Council · 2023 - 2024Politics and Polarization in the Methodist Church: A Text Analysis of Sermons
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Institute for Humane Studies · 2023 - 2024View All Grants
Education
Stony Brook University ·
2011
Ph.D.