Rate My Professor John Alford

His published work centers on elections and voting behavior, with an emphasis on the American Congress, as well as diverse topics including coal mine safety, pro-natalist policy in Eastern Europe, and the genetics of political ideology. Alford's current research examines the biology of political behavior, incorporating brain science, genetics, and the role of evolution in shaping human political behavior. Key publications include the book Predisposed: Liberals, Conservatives, and the Biology of Political Differences (Routledge, 2013, co-authored with John R. Hibbing and Kevin B. Smith); 'Are Political Orientations Genetically Transmitted?' (American Political Science Review, 2005, with Carolyn L. Funk and John R. Hibbing); 'Political Attitudes Vary with Physiological Traits' (Science, 2008, with Douglas R. Oxley, Kevin B. Smith, and others); 'Differences in Negativity Bias Underlie Variations in Political Ideology' (Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2014, with John R. Hibbing and Kevin B. Smith); and 'Disgust Sensitivity and the Neurophysiology of Left-Right Political Orientations' (PLoS ONE, 2011, with Kevin B. Smith and others). He received the CQ Press Award in 1988 for the outstanding paper in legislative politics at the American Political Science Association annual meeting, for 'The Demise of the Upper House and the Rise of the Senate: Electoral Responsiveness in the United States Senate' (with John Hibbing). Alford has obtained multiple National Science Foundation grants, including for 'Identifying the Biological Influences on Political Temperaments' (2009-2011) and 'Genes and Politics: Providing the Necessary Data' (2007-2010). He has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Politics (2007-2008) and various Rice University committees, such as the University Senate (2021-2023) and University Council (2012-2013).