Professor Christopher Carman

Stevenson Professor of Citizenship (Political & International Studies)

telephone: 0141 330 5353
email: Christopher.Carman@glasgow.ac.uk

Room 1217, Adam Smith Building, Glasgow, G12 8qq

Biography

Christopher J. Carman (Ph.D., 2000, University of Houston) is the Stevenson Professor of Citizenship at the University of Glasgow. He has previously taught at the Universities of Strathclyde and Pittsburgh. He research focuses on political representation and its alternatives (e.g., public petitions systems), poltiical proccesses, elections and electoral processes, public opinion and public policy. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals as well as co-authored several books examining politics, elections and representation in the United States, Scotland and the wider United Kingdom.

At the University of Glasgow Professor Carman has served as the Head of Subject (Politics & International Relations), the Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences (the largest School in the University, made up of the subject areas of Politics; Sociology; Urban Studies & Public Policy; Economic & Social History; and Central & Eastern European Studies); the Deputy Head of the School and Research Convener of Social and Poltical Sciences and the Glasgow Academic Dean of the Glasgow-Nankai Joint Graduate School.

He currently is the Subject Group Lead (Head of Subject) for Politics.

Research interests

Professor Carman is a Co-Investigator on the ESRC-funded Scottish Election Study (SES) since 2011 (when he served as the Proncipal Investigator). The SES is the primary academic election study on Scottish Parliament Elections. More information and the latest analysis can be found at:

http://scottishelections.ac.uk

He was also a Co-Investigator on UK Team of the NORFACE-funded RUDE: Rural and Urban Divide in Europe project:

https://www.rude.uni-frankfurt.de/103120545

In 2025 he co-authored (with David Barker and Andy Ballard) the groundbreaking book Dealmakers: the Political Psychology of Legislative Compromise (Oxford University Press).

Abstract: Compromise is critical to democratic policymaking, but it can be hard to find on Capitol Hill. In this era of routine legislative gridlock, however, some politicians do still cross the aisle instead of just crossing their arms. Dealmakers examines why—and why those lawmakers favoring compromise tend to be Democrats. The answer, the authors contend, comes down to differences in personality and values among voters. Specifically, they suggest that empathetic traits and values drive Democrats to accept compromise, whereas competitive traits and values drive Republicans to reject it. These differences filter up, the authors argue, through the ballot box to the halls of Congress. Drawing on evidence from opinion surveys, randomized experiments, social media posts, and legislative rescords, the authors find substantial support for their theory. These findings contextualize and challenge the conventional wisdom on political compromise while providing a deep dive into the psychological factors that structure political dealmaking and its absence.

Carman is currently extending this project to the British case, with findings that seem to mirroe those found in the United States.

Beyond that, Carman is working on projects on public perceptions of experts and expertise in policy-making.

And, of course, the 2026 Scottish Parliament Elections are keeping the members of the Scottish Election Study team busy.

Research groups

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1998

Number of items: 45.

2025

Barker, David C., Ballard, Andrew M.O. and Carman, Christopher Jan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2025) Dealmakers: The Psychology of Legislative Compromise. Series: Series in political psychology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780197801390

Claassen, C. et al. (2025) Measuring rural and urban consciousness in Europe. Electoral Studies, 95, 102912. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102912)

McKay, Lawrence, Claassen, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5149-0001, Bankov, Petar ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0609-4947 and Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2025) Countryside champions or urban allies? What rural and urban citizens want from elected representatives. Electoral Studies, 95, 102937. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102937)

Veitch, N. et al. (2025) Experiential learning through virtual reality by-proxy. Virtual Reality, 29, 38. (doi: 10.1007/s10055-025-01106-3)

Larner, Jac M., Johns, Robert, McMillan, Fraser ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4843-2449, Henderson, Ailsa and Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2025) Political scandals and vertical contagion in multilevel systems. British Journal of Political Science, 55, e154. (doi: 10.1017/S0007123425000043)

2024

Claassen, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5149-0001, Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 and Bankov, Petar ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0609-4947 (2024) Is there a rural-urban political divide in Britain? Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, (doi: 10.1080/17457289.2024.2393587) (Early Online Publication)

2023

Donald, C. et al. (2023) The Impact of using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Microbiology Online. SEB Centenary Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK, 4-7 July 2023. (Unpublished)

Donald, C. et al. (2023) The Impact of using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Microbiology Online. Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2023, Birmingham, UK, 17-20 April 2023. (Unpublished)

Donald, C. et al. (2023) The Impact of using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Microbiology Online. 16th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, Online, 29 Mar 2023. (Unpublished)

Barker, David C., Carman, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 and Bowler, Shaun (2023) Humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and support for political compromise. American Politics Research, 51(1), pp. 91-107. (doi: 10.1177/1532673X221123037)

Gherghina, Sergiu ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6627-5598, Close, Caroline and Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2023) Parliamentarians’ support for direct and deliberative democracy in Europe: an account of individual-level determinants. Comparative Politics, 55(2), pp. 219-238. (doi: 10.5129/001041523X16559281347210)

2022

Henderson, Ailsa, Johns, Robert, Larner, Jac M. and Carman, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2022) The Referendum that Changed a Nation: Scottish Voting Behaviour 2014–2019. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham, Switzerland. ISBN 9783031160943 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-16095-0)

2021

Donald, Claire ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4370-0707, Veitch, Nicola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9583-3915, Edmond, Avril, Marks, Leah, Kirkwood, Nathan, Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666, McDonnell, Neil ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7279-5277 and Macpherson, Fiona ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4950-3309 (2021) The Impact of Using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Online. Evolving Molecular Bioscience Education, 27-28 May 2021.

2014

Wheatley, Jonathan, Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666, Mendez, Fernando and Mitchell, James (2014) The dimensionality of Scottish political space: results from an experiment on the 2011 Holyrood election. Party Politics, 20(6), pp. 864-878. (doi: 10.1177/1354068812458614)

Carman, Christopher ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666, Johns, Robert and Mitchell, James (2014) More Scottish than British: The 2011 Scottish Parliament Election. Series: Comparative Territorial Politics. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke. ISBN 9781137023698

Carman, Christopher Jan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2014) Barriers are barriers: asymmetric participation in the Scottish public petitions system. Parliamentary Affairs, 67(1), pp. 151-171. (doi: 10.1093/pa/gss039)

2013

Johns, R., Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 and Mitchell, J. (2013) Constitution or competence? The SNP's re-election in 2011. Political Studies, 61(S1), pp. 158-178. (doi: 10.1111/1467-9248.12016)

2012

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2012) Representing Red and Blue: How the Culture Wars Change the Way Citizens Speak and Politicians Listen. Series: Series in political psychology. Oxford University Press: Oxford. ISBN 9780199796564

Denver, D.T., Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 and Johns, R. (2012) Elections and Voters in Britain. Series: Contemporary Political Studies. Palgrave Macmillan: Basingstoke, UK. ISBN 9780230241619

2010

Carman, C.J. (2010) The process is the reality: perceptions of procedural fairness and participatory democracy. Political Studies, 58(4), pp. 731-751. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2010.00840.x)

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2010) Yes WE can or yes HE can? Citizen preferences regarding styles of representation and presidential voting behavior. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 40(3), pp. 431-448. (doi: 10.1111/j.1741-5705.2010.03779.x)

Carman, C.J. and Johns, R. (2010) Linking coalition attitudes and split-ticket voting: the Scottish Parliament elections of 2007. Electoral Studies, 29(3), pp. 381-391. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2010.03.002)

Carman, C.J. and Barker, D.C. (2010) Regional subcultures and mass preferences regarding candidate traits in the USA. Regional and Federal Studies, 20(4-5), pp. 515-526. (doi: 10.1080/13597566.2010.523636)

2009

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. (2009) Political geography, church attendance, and mass preferences regarding democratic representation. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 19(2), pp. 125-145. (doi: 10.1080/17457280902798941)

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2009) Engaging the Public in the Scottish Parliament's Petitions Process. Project Report. Scottish Parliament.

Denver, D., Johns, R. and Carman, C.J. (2009) Rejected ballot papers in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election: the voters' perspective. British Politics, 4(1), pp. 3-21. (doi: 10.1057/bp.2008.29)

2008

Carman, C.J., Mitchell, J. and Johns, R. (2008) The unfortunate natural experiment in ballot design: the Scottish Parliamentary elections of 2007. Electoral Studies, 27(3), pp. 442-459. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2008.02.006)

Johns, R. and Carman, C.J. (2008) Coping with coalitions? Scottish voters under a proportional system. Representation, 44(4), pp. 301-315. (doi: 10.1080/00344890802422856)

2007

Carman, C.J. (2007) Assessing preferences for political representation in the US. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 17(1), pp. 1-19. (doi: 10.1080/13689880601132497)

Carman, C.J. and Shephard, M. (2007) Electoral poachers? An assessment of shadowing behaviour in the Scottish Parliament. Journal of Legislative Studies, 13(4), pp. 483-496. (doi: 10.1080/13572330701663587)

Hancock, M.D., Carman, C.J., Peters, B.G., Castle, M., Safran, W., Conradt, D.P., White, S. and Nanetti, R.Y. (2007) Politics in Europe. CQ Press: Washington, D.C.. ISBN 9781933116457

Peters, B.G. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2007) United Kingdom. In: Hancock, M.D., Carman, C.J., Peters, B.G., Castle, M., Safran, W., Conradt, D.P., White, S. and Nanetti, R.Y. (eds.) Politics in Europe. CQ Press: Washington, D.C., USA. ISBN 9781933116457

2006

Carman, C.J. (2006) Public preferences for parliamentary representation in the UK: An overlooked link? Political Studies, 54(1), pp. 103-122. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2006.00568.x)

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2006) Assessment of the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions System 1999-2006. Project Report. Scottish Parliament.

Miller, D.Y., Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. (2006) Mapping the genome of American political subcultures: A proposed methodology and pilot study. Publius: The Journal of Federalism, 36(2), pp. 303-315. (doi: 10.1093/publius/pjj015)

2005

Carman, C.J. and Barker, D.C. (2005) State political culture, primary frontloading, and democratic voice in presidential nominations: 1972–2000. Electoral Studies, 24(4), pp. 665-687. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2005.01.006)

Ames, B., Barker, D.C., Bonneau, C.W. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2005) Hide the Republicans, the Christians, and the women: a response to "Politics and Professional Advancement Among College Faculty". Forum, 3(2), Art. 7. (doi: 10.2202/1540-8884.1075)

2003

Carman, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2003) The Pennsylvania Fourth Congressional District race. PS: Political Science and Politics, 2003(3), p. 408. (doi: 10.1017/S1049096503002701)

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2003) The 2000 Pennsylvania Fourth District Congressional race. In: Magleby, D.B. (ed.) The Other Campaign: Soft Money and Issue Advocacy in the 2000 Congressional Elections. Rowman & Littlefield: Lanham, MD, USA, pp. 197-208. ISBN 9780742517714

2002

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2002) Brokering interests: the use of market-based policies by interest groups. Social Science Quarterly, 83(1), pp. 137-155. (doi: 10.1111/1540-6237.00075)

Barker, D.C., Knight, K. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2002) Toward a value heresthetic model of political persuasion. In: Barker, D.C. (ed.) Rushed to Judgment: Talk Radio, Persuasion, and American Political Behavior. Series: Power, conflict, and democracy. Columbia University Press: New York, NY, USA, pp. 30-55. ISBN 9780231118064

2001

Wlezien, C. and Carman, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2001) Ideological placements and political judgments of government institutions. Public Opinion Quarterly, 65(4), pp. 550-561. (doi: 10.1086/323578)

2000

Barker, D.C. and Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2000) The spirit of capitalism? Religious doctrine, values, and economic attitude constructs. Political Behavior, 22(1), pp. 1-27. (doi: 10.1023/A:1006614916714)

1998

Carman, C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 and Wlezien, C. (1998) Ideological evaluations of government institutions and policy. In: Reports on the 1997 NES Pilot Study. National Election Studies: Ann Arbor, MI, USA.

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (1998) Dimensions of environmental policy support in the United States. Social Science Quarterly, 79(4), pp. 717-733.

This list was generated on Tue Mar 17 19:16:58 2026 GMT.

Jump to: Articles | Books | Book Sections | Research Reports or Papers | Conference or Workshop Item

Number of items: 45.

Articles

Claassen, C. et al. (2025) Measuring rural and urban consciousness in Europe. Electoral Studies, 95, 102912. (doi: 10.1016/j.electstud.2025.102912)

Veitch, N. et al. (2025) Experiential learning through virtual reality by-proxy. Virtual Reality, 29, 38. (doi: 10.1007/s10055-025-01106-3)

Carman, C.J. (2010) The process is the reality: perceptions of procedural fairness and participatory democracy. Political Studies, 58(4), pp. 731-751. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2010.00840.x)

Denver, D., Johns, R. and Carman, C.J. (2009) Rejected ballot papers in the 2007 Scottish Parliament election: the voters' perspective. British Politics, 4(1), pp. 3-21. (doi: 10.1057/bp.2008.29)

Johns, R. and Carman, C.J. (2008) Coping with coalitions? Scottish voters under a proportional system. Representation, 44(4), pp. 301-315. (doi: 10.1080/00344890802422856)

Carman, C.J. (2007) Assessing preferences for political representation in the US. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 17(1), pp. 1-19. (doi: 10.1080/13689880601132497)

Carman, C.J. (2006) Public preferences for parliamentary representation in the UK: An overlooked link? Political Studies, 54(1), pp. 103-122. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9248.2006.00568.x)

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (1998) Dimensions of environmental policy support in the United States. Social Science Quarterly, 79(4), pp. 717-733.

Books

Hancock, M.D., Carman, C.J., Peters, B.G., Castle, M., Safran, W., Conradt, D.P., White, S. and Nanetti, R.Y. (2007) Politics in Europe. CQ Press: Washington, D.C.. ISBN 9781933116457

Book Sections

Research Reports or Papers

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2009) Engaging the Public in the Scottish Parliament's Petitions Process. Project Report. Scottish Parliament.

Carman, C.J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-0666 (2006) Assessment of the Scottish Parliament's Public Petitions System 1999-2006. Project Report. Scottish Parliament.

Conference or Workshop Item

Donald, C. et al. (2023) The Impact of using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Microbiology Online. SEB Centenary Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK, 4-7 July 2023. (Unpublished)

Donald, C. et al. (2023) The Impact of using Virtual Reality Lessons to Teach Microbiology Online. Microbiology Society Annual Conference 2023, Birmingham, UK, 17-20 April 2023. (Unpublished)

This list was generated on Tue Mar 17 19:16:58 2026 GMT.

Grants

Current:

Co-Investigator of ESRC funded Scottish Election Study 2025-2030, details forthcoming

Previous Awards:

New Opportunities for Research Funding Agency Cooperation in Europe (NORFACE), €1,347,500 (€254,000 to University of Glasgow), “Rural-Urban Divide in Europe (RUDE)”, with C. Claassen (PI), January 2021 – February 2024

Economic and Social Research Council, UK, £965,005 (£170,191 to University of Glasgow) (ES/V01000X/1), “Scottish Election Study 2021-2025,” with Ailsa Henderson (PI), Robert Johns and Jac Larner, February 2021 – December 2025

Economic and Social Research Council, UK, £428,783 (£33,908 to University of Glasgow) (ES/N018060/1), “Scottish Election Study 2016,” with Ailsa Henderson and Robert Johns, May 2016 – April 2019

Economic and Social Research Council, UK, £297,000 (ES/M003418/1), “Scottish Referendum Study 2014,” with Ailsa Henderson and Robert Johns, June 2014 – May 2016

Economic and Social Research Council, UK, £97,000 (ES/I036818/1) “Scottish Election Study 2011,” University of Strathclyde, PI, with Robert Johns and James Mitchell, April 2011 – April 2012.

Electoral Commission, funding for conference “Putting the Voter First: Changes and Developments in Electoral Administration,” University of Strathclyde, 12-13 November 2010, £12,500.

Economic and Social Research Council, UK, £97,221 (RES-000-22-1820-A). “Implementing the Buzzwords and Connecting with the Public: An Assessment of the Scottish Parliament’s Public Petitions Process.” June 2006 – December 2007.

Supervision

I am happy to supervise PhD students examining:

Public Opinion and Survey Data
Scottish Politics, especially Scottish Elections and the Scottish Parliament
Political Representation and its Alternatives
Direct Democracy
U.S. Politics, especially Elections and Legislative Politics
Comparative Legislative Politics
Comparative Public Opinion

Additional information

Professor Carman is the Stevenson Professor of Citizenship.

The Stevenson Trust for Citizenship was established in 1921 by a bequest to the University from Sir Daniel Macaulay Stevenson (1851 – 1944) a Glasgow-born engineer, politician and philanthropist.

Purpose of the Stevenson Trust:

“... to make provision in Glasgow for instruction in the rights, duties, and obligations of citizens in relation to the city, the state, and the commonwealth of nations; to promote study, inquiry and research in subjects bearing on local government, national polity, and international community; and thereby to emphasize the compatibility of civic or local with national patriotism, and of both with full and free international co-operation.” D.M.Stevenson

The Stevenson Trust hosts a series of very popular public lectures at the University of Glasgow. In addition, the Trust supports research into matters relating to citizenship and democratic processes & norms in Scotland and beyond.

Form more information on the Stevenson Trust, see:

University of Glasgow, Stevenson Trust

Recordings of the Trusts' public lectures may be accessed at:

Stevenson Lectures

Professor Christopher Carman

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School of Social & Political Sciences

Professor Christopher Carman

Biography

Research interests

Research groups

Publications

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2014

2013

2012

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2003

2002

2001

2000

1998

Articles

Books

Book Sections

Research Reports or Papers

Conference or Workshop Item

Grants

Supervision

Additional information