Education
PhD, Kent State University
MA, Arizona State University
BA, Western Washington University

Summary Biography
James Carlson, Ph.D., is Professor of Political Science at Providence College. For the past thirty years Dr. Carlson has taught American Politics, Empirical Research Methods, Elections, Mass Media and Politics, Public Opinion and Law and Society at Providence College. In recent years he has offered a capstone seminar on Generations and Politics. His research interests have focused on American political behavior with an emphasis on political psychology and media and politics. In the area of media and politics he authored Prime Time Law Enforcement: Crime Show Viewing and Attitudes Toward the Criminal Justice System (Praeger Press). More recently he co-authored a research methods text with Mark Hyde titled Doing Empirical Political Research (Houghton-Mifflin). Recently Dr. Carlson has written papers that have focused on topics such religion and political opinion, individual beliefs in a just world and the impact of public opinion on individual support for the war in Iraq. He is also beginning research for a book tentatively titled “Can American Democracy Survive Television”.

Dr. Carlson is a native of the Pacific Northwest who lives in Glocester, RI with his wife, Harriet (a native of Sweden). His daughter Erica lives in Northampton, MA with her husband. Dr. Carlson and his family have traveled extensively, most frequently to the Northwest and to Sweden. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Hungary during the 1991-1992 academic year. In his free time Dr. Carlson enjoys reading fiction. His favorite book is Richard Fiorina's I've Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me. His favorite authors include David Lodge, Ian McEwen, Martin Cruz Smith, Ridley Pearson, David Guterson and Jonothan Raban. Dr. Carlson also enjoys listening to a variety of music, but especially blues, classic rock and contemporary folk. He is a very big supporter of Rhode Island musicians such as Roomful of Blues, Ronnie Earle, Duke Robillard, Paul Geremia, Atwater-Donnelly, and Scott Hamilton. An additional passion is independent and foreign films.

Fall 2009 Courses