Eric Oliver

Eric Oliver is a political scientist whose interests include contemporary American politics, suburban and racial politics, political psychology, and the politics of science. Eric is currently working on papers about public support for conspiracy theories, whether liberals and conservatives name their children differently, and conducting research on the biological foundations of political cognition.

He has also authored numerous articles in journals such as the American Political Science ReviewAmerican Journal of Political SciencePerspectives in Biology and MedicineInternational Journal of Epidemiology, Public Opinion Quarterly, and Urban Affairs Review on topics ranging from absentee voting to happiness in suburbs.

His books include Democracy in Suburbia; Fat Politics: The Real Story Behind America's Obesity Epidemic; The Paradoxes of Integration: Race, Neighborhood, and Civic Life in Multi-ethnic America and Local Elections and the Politics of Small Scale Democracy

Oliver Stories

The Science of Conspiracy Theories and Political Polarization with Eric Oliver (Ep. 25)

A UChicago political science professor explains how the same force that drives conspiracy theories is intensifying political polarization in our country.