Eric Oliver

Departmental website:
https://political-science.uchicago.edu/directory/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 Review, American Journal of Political Science, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, International 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. 

Eric Oliver

  • Title: Professor of Political Science
  • Education: BA, Wesleyan University; PhD, University of California, Berkeley
  • Joined UChicago faculty: 2006
  • eoliver@uchicago.edu
  • @ProfEricOliver

Media Contacts

Elizabeth Braun Rush

Executive Director for Strategic Communications, Social Sciences Division

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Expertise

Conspiracy theories

Oliver Stories

‘9 Questions’ and ‘Carry the Two’ join University of Chicago Podcast Network Podcast logos for "9 Questions" (left) and "Carry the Two" (right)

‘9 Questions’ and ‘Carry the Two’ join University of Chicago Podcast Network

Summer 2020 reading recommendations from UChicago faculty UChicago students read on campus in an undated photo

Summer 2020 reading recommendations from UChicago faculty

Teaching award winners suggest old favorites, new finds to turn to in 2020

University announces 2020 winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards Spring Campus

University announces 2020 winners of Quantrell and Graduate Teaching Awards

Faculty honored for exceptional teaching and mentoring of undergraduate, graduate students

Puppet politician

The Science of Conspiracy Theories and Political Polarization with Eric Oliver

A new poll shows 52% of Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote

A new poll shows 52% of Republicans actually think Trump won the popular vote

Prof. Eric Oliver examines how partisanship can drive beliefs


Research examines impact of foreign language on risk perception, moral judgment Man teaching kid to write mandarin characters

Research examines impact of foreign language on risk perception, moral judgment

Donald Trump is full of conspiracies—and many believe him

Donald Trump is full of conspiracies—and many believe him

Prof. Eric Oliver examines the relationship between populism and conspiracy theories


Boston Globe

Trump’s voters aren’t authoritarians, new research says. So what are they?

Trump’s voters aren’t authoritarians, new research says. So what are they?

In op-ed, Prof. Eric Oliver says Trump supporters are ‘true populists’


Why are we so eager to embrace conspiracy theories?

Why are we so eager to embrace conspiracy theories?

In op-ed, Prof. Eric Oliver says that in responding to unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, ‘the first step should be to empathise’


New Scientist

You won’t believe how many Americans accept medical conspiracy theories

You won’t believe how many Americans accept medical conspiracy theories

Article cites research by Prof. J. Eric Oliver, who finds that about half of Americans believe in a medical conspiracy in an attempt to deal with uncertainty


Salon