MICHAEL E. SHEPHERD 

My research program focuses on questions of political and economic inequality, with a special focus on the experiences of the poor with government and the representation of the interests of the poor in policymaking. My dissertation combines these interests into a study of rural individuals' attitudes and experiences in the realm of health care.  My work has appeared in the American Political Science Review, the Election Law Journal, Political Science Research & Methods, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Prior to getting my PhD at Vanderbilt, I earned my Master’s of Applied Politics degree at the University of Akron and my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Murray State University. Prior to academia, I was a congressional campaign staffer and  political fundraiser. 

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In the Fall of 2022, I will be joining the Department of Government and Health & Society Program at the University of Texas at Austin as an Assistant Professor.

Welcome to my academic website. In Fall 2022, I

will start as an Assistant Professor at the

University of Texas at Austin. Email at  michael.shepherd@austin.utexas.edu with any

questions or comments. 

Assistant Professor  - University of Texas at Austin