Headshot of Mark Jones.

Mark P. Jones

Fellow in Political Science | CES Lead, Argentina | Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies

Biography

Mark P. Jones, Ph.D., is the fellow in political science at the Baker Institute, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and a professor in the Department of Political Science at Rice University.

Jones also serves as the faculty director of Rice’s Master of Global Affairs program. His research focuses on the effect of electoral laws and other political institutions on governance, representation and voting. He has received substantial financial support for this research, including grants from the National Science Foundation. His research has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, Electoral Studies and the Journal of Politics, as well as in edited volumes published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and Penn State University Press, among others. He is a frequent contributor to Texas media outlets, and his research on the Texas Legislature has been widely cited in the media as well as by numerous political campaigns.

Jones regularly advises U.S. government institutions on economic and political affairs in Argentina and has conducted research on public policy issues in Latin America and Texas for numerous international, national and local organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Texas Department of Agriculture and the city of Houston. He is a frequent commentator in local, state, national and international media on government, politics and public policy. He is currently working on two principal research agendas, one that examines the impact of political institutions on politics and public policy in Latin America, and the other that analyzes the evolution of partisan politics in Texas over the past 50 years. Jones received his doctorate from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.

Jones leads the Baker Institute’s Argentina Program and helps direct the Presidential Elections Program

Contact at [email protected] or 713-348-2107.

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Energy Insights 2025
Energy markets are rarely straightforward, and trade-offs are inevitable. "Energy Insights 2025" draws on research from the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies to highlight trends, market dynamics, and policy developments shaping energy in Texas, the U.S., and around the world.
Kenneth B. Medlock III, Peter R. Hartley, Raúl Bajo Buenestado, Todd Moss, Hamna Tariq, Abhi Rajendran, Harold “Skip” York, Michelle Michot Foss, Ashley Zumwalt-Forbes, Gabriel Collins, Henry Haggard, Francisco J. Monaldi, Tilsa Oré Mónago, Mark P. Jones, Jim Krane, Salem Alhajraf, Edward M. Emmett, Ted Loch-Temzelides, Rachel A. Meidl, Miaomiao Rimmer October 7, 2025
Empty meeting room in the Texas Capitol
Texas’ Redistricting Fight Goes National
Texas Republicans are moving to redraw the state’s congressional map — an unusual mid-decade redistricting effort that’s prompted Texas House Democrats to leave the state in an effort to delay a vote. In this episode of “Baker Briefing,” Mark P. Jones breaks down the political standoff and what’s at stake for electoral politics.
Mark P. Jones, David M. Satterfield August 7, 2025