Michael D. Martinez

Michael D. Martinez
Born	1955 (age 70–71) United States
💼 Occupation
Known for	Electoral behavior, voter turnout, partisanship, political ambivalence
🏅 Awards	Fulbright Scholar (1994) APSA State Politics and Policy Section Best Paper Award (2004)

Michael D. Martinez (born 1955) is an American political scientist and Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida (UF), where he serves as Graduate Coordinator and Field Chair for American Politics. His research on electoral behavior, voter turnout, partisanship, and political ambivalence has shaped scholarship in political science, with over 871 citations across journals like the American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and Political Behavior. A Fulbright Scholar (1994), Martinez edited The Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics from 2007 to 2012 and has lectured internationally on U.S. and Canadian elections. His work, supported by grants from the Canadian Embassy and recognized by the American Political Science Association (APSA), has influenced electoral studies and public opinion research globally.

Biography

Michael D. Martinez was born in 1955 in the United States. He developed an early interest in electoral politics, influenced by the political dynamics of the post-Watergate era. Martinez earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government (1977) and an Associate of Science in Computer Science (1976) from Southeastern Louisiana University. He completed a Master of Arts in Political Science at the University of New Orleans in 1980 and a Certificate in European Studies at Tilburg University, Netherlands, in the same year. He received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 1985, with a dissertation on partisanship in Canadian and U.S. elections.

Martinez began his academic career as an Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago (1985–1990). He joined the University of Florida in 1990 as an Associate Professor and was promoted to Professor in 2004. He has held visiting professorships at the University of British Columbia and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Calgary in 1994, where he researched Canadian voter turnout. Since the mid-1990s, Martinez has served as UF’s Official Representative to the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and coordinates the Florida federation, a consortium of ten universities. As Graduate Coordinator, he oversees UF’s political science graduate program, mentoring students in electoral research.

Research

Martinez’s research focuses on electoral behavior, public opinion, voter turnout, partisanship, and political ambivalence, with an emphasis on how psychological and social factors shape voter decisions. His work integrates quantitative methods, survey design, and comparative analysis, influencing scholarship in the United States and Canada. His 871+ citations reflect his impact, particularly in studies of ambivalence and voter participation.

Political ambivalence

Martinez’s co-edited books, Ambivalence and the Structure of Political Opinion (2005) and Ambivalence, Politics, and Public Policy (2005, both with Stephen C. Craig), are seminal works exploring how conflicting attitudes affect voter behavior. These books, reviewed in *Palgrave Macmillan* for their interdisciplinary approach, have been cited in *American Political Science Review* and *Political Psychology* for advancing survey measurement of ambivalence. A 2020 article in *American Review of Politics*, co-authored with Craig and Paulina S. Cossette, used a survey experiment to show that partisan ambivalence increases deliberative thinking in congressional elections, though a *Political Behavior* review noted challenges in measuring ambivalence objectively.

Voter turnout and electoral behavior

Martinez’s research on voter turnout examines structural and psychological barriers to participation. His 2024 *American Journal of Political Science* article, “Election Administration Harms and Ballot Design: A Study of Florida’s 2018 United States Senate Race,” co-authored with Michael Morse and others, analyzed how poor ballot design led to 1.5% undervotes, impacting election outcomes. This study, cited in *UF Election Lab* reports, informed Florida’s election reform discussions. His 2003 *Political Analysis* comment on National Election Studies data clarified turnout measurement, cited 150 times for its methodological rigor.

Martinez’s comparative work on U.S. and Canadian turnout, supported by a Canadian Embassy grant, includes a 1984 *Canadian Journal of Political Science* article on intergenerational partisanship, cited 200 times. His 2014 chapter in *Canada and the United States: Differences That Count* compared turnout drivers, influencing Canadian electoral studies.

Partisanship and public opinion

Martinez’s work on partisanship examines its stability and influence on vote choice. His 2016 *American Review of Politics* article, “Rediscovering Partisanship as the Long Term Force in the Vote Decision,” used panel studies to show prior partisanship predicts future votes, though weaker during party realignments. A 2001 *Political Behavior* article with Kenneth D. Wald, “Jewish Religiosity and Political Attitudes in the United States and Israel,” cited 397 times, explored how religious identity shapes partisanship.

His 2022 *Contemporary Jewry* article with Wald, “Measuring ‘Who is a Jew’ and Why Pollsters Should Care,” addressed survey design challenges in religious identity, cited in *Public Opinion Quarterly* for its methodological contributions. Martinez’s 2015 *Florida Political Chronicle* study on Florida’s 2014 gubernatorial election examined trust in party switchers, influencing regional campaign strategies.

Collaborative research

Martinez has collaborated with scholars like Jeff Gill on turnout simulations and Stephen C. Craig on ambivalence. His 2010 *The Forum* article with Craig, “Race and 2008 Presidential Politics in Florida,” used a list experiment to uncover racial biases, cited in *Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties*. His work with UF Election Lab, including a 2022 survey verifying voter registration data, has informed election administration policies.

Teaching

Martinez teaches undergraduate courses like American Federal Government (POS 2041) and Introduction to Political Behavior (POS 3204), and graduate seminars in Political Behavior and Conduct of Inquiry at UF. He uses The New York Times to connect political concepts to current events, earning praise for engaging students, though some find his courses rigorous. Martinez mentors graduate students, co-authoring papers with David Hill and Jason Gainous, fostering research in electoral behavior.

International engagement

Martinez’s global impact includes lectures on U.S. elections sponsored by the United States Information Service (1998, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver) and the U.S. Department of State (2004, Charlottetown, St. John’s, Halifax). These talks, hosted by Canadian universities, addressed voter turnout and partisanship, influencing electoral scholarship in Canada. His Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Calgary (1994) produced comparative studies on Canadian and U.S. voter participation, cited in *Canadian Journal of Political Science*. Martinez’s 2008 presentation at the Canadian Political Science Association on Canadian nonvoters furthered cross-national research.

Editorial and professional contributions

Martinez served as editor of The Forum: A Journal of Applied Research in Contemporary Politics (2007–2012), shaping discourse on electoral behavior and public policy. His editorial work ensured rigorous peer review, enhancing the journal’s reputation. He received the 2004 APSA State Politics and Policy Section Best Paper Award for a study on voter explanations in Florida elections, recognized for its innovative methodology. As ICPSR coordinator for the Florida federation, Martinez facilitates data access for electoral research across ten universities.

Media and public engagement

Martinez is a frequent commentator on electoral trends, particularly in Florida. In a 2024 *The Independent Florida Alligator* article, he discussed Gen Z’s voting patterns, noting their openness to third-party candidates and issue-driven preferences like climate change. His 2016 blog post, “Unravelling the Folk Theory of Democracy,” critiqued idealized views of voter rationality, cited in UF’s Political Campaigning program for its accessibility. Martinez’s public talks, including at APSA and Southern Political Science Association conferences, address turnout and partisanship, engaging broader audiences.

Selected publications

Martinez’s publications span books, journal articles, and book chapters, with significant impact in electoral behavior and public opinion research.

Books

• Craig, Stephen C.; Martinez, Michael D. (eds.). (2005). Ambivalence and the Structure of Political Opinion. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1403965714.
• Craig, Stephen C.; Martinez, Michael D. (eds.). (2005). Ambivalence, Politics, and Public Policy. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1403965721.

Articles

• Martinez, Michael D.; Morse, Michael; Herron, Michael C.; Meredith, Marc; Smith, Daniel A. (2024). “Election Administration Harms and Ballot Design: A Study of Florida’s 2018 United States Senate Race.” American Journal of Political Science. doi:10.1111/ajps.12919.
• Wald, Kenneth D.; Martinez, Michael D. (2022). “Measuring ‘Who is a Jew’ and Why Pollsters Should Care.” Contemporary Jewry. 42(3): 357–383. doi:10.1007/s12397-022-09447-5.
• Shino, Enrijeta; Martinez, Michael D.; Binder, Michael. (2022). “Determined By Mode? Representation and Measurement Effects in a Dual-Mode Statewide Survey.” Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology. 10(1): 183–202. doi:10.1093/jssam/smab013.
• Craig, Stephen C.; Cossette, Paulina S.; Martinez, Michael D. (2020). “Partisan Ambivalence and Electoral Decision Making.” American Review of Politics. 37(1): 1–28. doi:10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2020.37.1.1-28.
• Martinez, Michael D. (2016). “Rediscovering Partisanship as the Long Term Force in the Vote Decision.” American Review of Politics. 35(1): 1–17. doi:10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2016.35.1.1-17.
• Wald, Kenneth D.; Martinez, Michael D. (2001). “Jewish Religiosity and Political Attitudes in the United States and Israel.” Political Behavior. 23(4): 377–397. doi:10.1023/A:1015359115588.
• Martinez, Michael D. (1984). “Inter-Generational Transfer of Canadian Partisanships.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. 17(1): 133–143. doi:10.1017/S0008423900050135.

Chapters

• Martinez, Michael D. (2014). “Turning Out or Tuning Out? Electoral Participation in Canada and the United States.” In *Canada and the United States: Differences That Count* (4th ed.). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 142–162.
• Martinez, Michael D.; Gainous, Jason; Craig, Stephen C. (2012). “Measuring Ambivalence about Government.” In *Improving Public Opinion Surveys* (eds. McGraw, K. M., & Aldrich, J.). Princeton University Press. pp. 238–255.

References

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