Books
Gaynor, S. W. Echo Chambers: How Partisan Communication Took Over Congress, University of Chicago Press. January 2027.
Members of Congress today face enormous pressure to communicate with their constituents. Yet in a centralized environment, the average legislator lacks the time, resources, and information necessary to coherently explain legislative actions. Instead, rank-and-file members must turn to those who know the legislation best: party and committee leaders. This book examines how congressional leaders have centralized the constituent communication process to advance partisan narratives, and how rank-and-file members have followed suit. Read more about the project here.
Burgat, C., Hunt, C., and Gaynor, S. W. Congress Explained: Representation and Lawmaking in the First Branch, 2nd edition. 2025, Sage Press.
This textbook offers an accessible and modern resource in the study of Congress by focusing on the realities of congressional lawmaking in the modern era and legislators that fill the halls of today’s Congress. Read more about this project here, and listen to our affiliated podcast, here!
Peer-reviewed articles
Gaynor, S. W., Miler, K. Goel, P, Hoyle A. M. and Resnik P. (2026). “Express Yourself (Ideologically): Legislators’ Ideal Points Across Audiences.” Journal of Politics. https://doi.org/10.1086/736360. PDF.
– Explore more, updated Text-Based Ideal Points here.
Gaynor, S. W., & Hayes, S. D. (2025). “New lines, new districts, new representation: Institutional impacts of congressional redistricting”, Political Research Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/10659129251408063. PDF.
Gaynor, S. W. and Millburne R. (2025). “Playing Ball: Collaboration in the U.S. Congress”, American Politics Research.https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X251382546. PDF.
– Featured on Understanding Congress podcast, June 2026.
Gaynor, S. W. (2025). “Following the leaders: Asymmetric party messaging in the U.S. Congress”, Legislative Studies Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1111/lsq.12479. PDF.
– Discussed in Political Science Now, 2024 Post-Election Reflection Series (link).
– Discussed in Bipartisan Policy Center’s 2024 Governance report, “How Primary Elections Impact Behavior in the House of Representatives” (link).
Hayes, S. and Gaynor, S. W. (2024). “Secure Majorities, Unequal Districts: One Person, One Vote & State Bipartisanship.” Electoral Studies 91, 102835. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2024.102835. PDF.
Goel, P., Malkin, N., Gaynor, S. W., Jojic, N., Miler, K., and Resnik, P. (2023). “How donor activity predicts US legislators’ attention to political speech.” PLOS ONE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291169. PDF.
Gaynor, S. W. and Gimpel, J. G. (2023). “Building Support through the Personalization of Twitter Messages in a Permanent Campaign.” American Politics Research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673X231184434. PDF.
Safarpour, A. C., Gaynor, S. W., Rouse, S. M. Swers, M. (2022). When Women Run, Voters Will Follow (Sometimes): Examining the Mobilizing Effect of Female Candidates in the 2014 and 2018 Midterm Elections. Political Behavior. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-021-09767-x. PDF.
Gaynor, S. W. (2021). The (Financial) Ties That Bind: Social Networks of Intraparty Caucuses, Gaynor, S. W. Legislative Studies Quarterly. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/lsq.12360. PDF.
Gaynor, S. W. & Gimpel, J. G. (2021). Small Donor Contributions in Response to Email Outreach by a Political Campaign, Journal of Political Marketing, DOI: 10.1080/15377857.2021.1910611.
Gaynor, S. W., & Gimpel, J. G. (2021). Reapportioning the US Congress: The shifting geography of political influence. Political Geography, 86, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2021.102365. PDF.
– Discussed in “The Fate of Biden’s Agenda Hangs in the Balance (and it isn’t all about the filibuster)”, Thomas B. Edsall, New York Times
Book Chapters, Articles, and Reports
Gaynor, S. W. (2027) ”How Committee Procedure Became a Partisan Weapon: The Impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas”, in The Politics of Impeachment, 2nd Edition, Margaret Tseng, forthcoming, Westphalia Press.
Gaynor, S. W. (2026) “Applying Content Analysis to a Social Media Campaign”, in Political Science Research in Practice, 3rd ed, Akin Malici and Elizabeth Smith. Routledge Press.
Gaynor, S.W. (2023). The Forum Review: The Collaborative Congress: Reaching Common Ground in a Polarized House. Alison Craig. Cambridge University Press. $110 cloth. 225 pages. PDF.
Gaynor, S. W., J.D. Rackey and Marian Currinder. (2023). “Political Scientists in Congress: Opportunities for Employment and Engagement,” Political Science Today. https://doi.org/10.1017/psj.2023.27
Gaynor, S. W., “Congress and External Influencers: Interest Groups, Activists, and Media.” Congress Explained, Burgat, C. and Hunt, C. Sage Press, 2022.
Gaynor, S. W., “Here’s how Republican and Democratic party leaders reward the faithful and punish wayward members”, The Monkey Cage: Washington Post, Dec. 14, 2021.
U.S. Congress. House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. Final Report. Washington: U.S. Government Publishing Office, October 2020. (1009-E). (Y 4.2:M 72/R 29). Lead Author, with support from the American Political Science Association Public Service Fellowship. https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/gpo146079.
Wyckoff, S., & Lee, F. E. (2020). Advice for Women and Their Colleagues: An Interview with Frances E. Lee. PS: Political Science & Politics, 53(2), 310-312. DOI: 10.1017/S1049096519002129
Wyckoff, S. (2017). “Should Congressional Incumbents be Concerned About the 2018 Midterm Elections?“, Center for American Politics and Citizenship, University of Maryland. Download the full report here.
Public-facing work
”From the Freedom Caucus to the democratic socialists, small groups inside parties can wreak havoc with leaders’ agenda in Congress”, with Charlie Hunt. The Conversation, Sept. 3, 2026.
”Republicans control Congress, so why is Trump’s SAVE America Act stuck?” The Conversation, July 17, 2026.
“Reinforcing Article I with Institutional Investments“, NYU Law’s Democracy Project, July 16, 2026
“Congress still has ways to throttle back Trump’s war with Iran – and to ask questions“, with Charlie Hunt, The Conversation, March 11, 2026
“Speaker Johnson’s choice to lead by following the president goes against 200 years of House speakers building up the office’s power“, The Conversation, 12/1/2025
Podcast: Highway to Hill
Data
Replication files via GitHub
Text-Based Ideal Points for the U.S. Congress
Replication files for “Financial Ties that Bind”, LSQ Dataverse
Replication files for “Express Yourself (Ideologically)”, JOP Dataverse
