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 mpjones@rice.edu or 713-348-2107.
Recent Publications
In Associated Press: Remedy sought to public distrust in elections
A recent bipartisan report seeks to diffuse extreme political polarization. “No state is perfect, nor is our goal to have every state be homogenous,” Jones said. However, improvements in voting policy and technology can improve confidence in the system.
This Week in Texas Travels to Austin and Looks at Big Moments From Week 1 of Ken Paxton’s Trial
How will the 16 articles of impeachment facing Attorney General Ken Paxton impact voter support? “One in four Republican primary voters will still be with the attorney general when all of the testimony & trial concludes,” fellow Mark P. Jones said.
‘Death Star law’ to Abortion: The New Rightwing Laws Taking Effect in Texas
Hundreds of new Texas laws come into effect today, including anti-LGBTQ measures, new state funding for anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers,” and other legislation Fellow Mark P. Jones calls a “smorgasbord of red meat for the Republican base.”
Books and Book Chapters
External Publications