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Christopher Johnston

Professor of Political Science
Political Science
Box 90204, Durham, NC 27708
294J Gross Hall, Durham, NC 27708

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 News Items


Published February 3, 2025
Celebrating Duke’s New Full Professors
Published January 8, 2025
A New Study Asks: How Do Kids Figure out Where They Stand Politically?
Published March 9, 2016
Christopher Johnston, co-author: Here's why Trump's supporters tolerate his 'liberal' economic positions

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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 Cite

Linking 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 Cite

An 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 Cite
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Recent Grants


Repeated Measure Designs in Survey Experiments

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Rapoport Family Foundation · 2024 - 2025

Politics and Polarization in the Methodist Church: A Text Analysis of Sermons

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Social Science Research Council · 2023 - 2024

Politics and Polarization in the Methodist Church: A Text Analysis of Sermons

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Institute for Humane Studies · 2023 - 2024

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Education


Stony Brook University · 2011 Ph.D.

External Links


Personal Website