James Kirk

Areas of Interest: political behavior, parties and elections, political geography, religion and politics, quantitative methods

James Kirk is a third-year PhD student and a Notebaert Premier Fellow in political science at the University of Notre Dame. His fields of study are American politics and methodology, and his specific areas of interest include political behavior, parties and elections, political geography, religion and politics, and quantitative methods.

James’ research examines the intersections of place and politics and religion and politics. His ongoing projects include research on geographic variation in political trust, the religious foundations of place-based resentment, and the political economy of America's coal industry. His previous work on religion and the 2020 election has been published in The Forum, and his research on public opinion of instability and how it links to government prioritization of military spending was published in Issues in Political Economy.

James earned his BS in Political Science and Economics, graduating with honors in both, from Frostburg State University.  Prior to attending Notre Dame, he worked as a congressional campaign staffer and in higher education advancement at his alma mater.