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  • Benjamin J. Kassow
Portrait of Benjamin J. Kassow

Benjamin J. Kassow

BA, PhD
  • Associate Professor, Political Science & Public Adm
    • American Politics, Public Law, Quantitative Methodology

Contact Info

  • Email: benjamin.kassow@UND.edu
  • Office: 701.777.3549
  • Alt Phone: 701.777.3549
  • Dept: 701.777.3831

Office Address

Nistler Hall Room 324G
3125 University Avenue, Stop 8379
Grand Forks ND 58202-8379

Nistler Hall 324G

3125 University Ave., Stop 8098

Grand Forks, ND 58202-8098

Office Hours

Tuesday, Thursday: 3:30-5:30 p.m. or by appointment

Curriculum Vitae

  • Curriculum Vitae

Websites

  • Visit Website

Biography

Benjamin Kassow is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at the University of North Dakota. Professor Kassow's research emphasizes cover topics within American politics, quantitative research methods, and comparative politics, with a particular focus on judicial politics and legal processes involved in judiciaries. His research focuses on why judges discuss specific precedents (and types of usage of precedent) within court opinions, as well as focusing on how federal circuit court and state high court judges implement U.S. Supreme Court opinions over time. Professor Kassow has also worked on questions of how economic decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court impact economic inequality in the United States. Finally, Professor Kassow has research interests in theories of Congressional representation. He has published in journals such as  PS: Political Science & Politics, American Politics Research, Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, Journal of Law Economics and Organization, Justice System Journal, Law & Social Inquiry, and the Journal of Law and Courts. Finally, Professor Kassow also currently has a research monograph published by Cambridge University Press.

Fall 2014: POLS 115 (American Government I), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2015: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties), POLS 393 (Problems in Political Science: Law & Society)

Fall 2015: POLS 115 (American Government I), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2016: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2016: POLS 115 (American Government I), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2017: POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties), POLS 393 (Problems in Political Science: Judicial Processes)

Fall 2017: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2018: POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2018: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2019: POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties), POLS 539 (Administrative Law-MPA course)

Fall 2019: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers)

Spring 2020: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2020: POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers), POLS 432 (Public Policymaking Process)

Spring 2021: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2021: POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers), POLS 432 (Public Policymaking Process), POLS 500 (Research Methods)

Spring 2022: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2022: POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers), POLS 432 (Public Policymaking Process), POLS 500 (Research Methods)

Spring 2023: POLS 115 (American Government 1), POLS 306 (American Constitution: Civil Rights and Liberties)

Fall 2023: POLS 305 (American Constitution: Government Powers), POLS 432 (Public Policymaking Process), POLS 500 (Research Methods)

Public Law/Judicial Politics: The Influence of Legal Factors in Judicial Processes, Judicial Implementation and Impact, State High Court Decision-Making, U.S. Courts of Appeals Decision-Making.

American Politics: American Political Institutions (Separation of Powers), Congressional Elections, State Politics.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles and Books:

Boston, Josh, Benjamin J. Kassow, Ali S. Masood, and David R. Miller. "Your Honor’s Misdeeds: The Consequences of Judicial Scandal on Specific and Diffuse Support." Accepted at PS: Political Science & Politics.

Kassow, Benjamin J., and Michael P. Fix. "Federal Appeals Court Responses to Supreme Court Precedent." Justice System Journal 43(3): 339-352.

Masood, Ali, and Benjamin J. Kassow. "What’s in a Name: How U.S. Supreme Court Justices Shape Law and Policy in the Lower Courts." Forthcoming at Law and Social Inquiry. FirstView at: https://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2022.33

Goelzhauser, Greg, Benjamin J. Kassow, and Doug Rice. 2022. "Measuring Supreme Court Case Complexity". Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization 38(1): 92-118.

Fix, Michael P., and Benjamin J. Kassow.  U.S. Supreme Court Doctrine in the State High Courts. 2020.  Cambridge University Press.

Masood, Ali S., and Benjamin J. Kassow. 2020. ``The Sum of its Parts: How Individual Supreme Court Justices Disparately Shape Policy." Social Science Quarterly 101(2): 842-860.

Masood, Ali S., Benjamin J. Kassow, and Donald R. Songer. 2019. "The Aggregate Dynamics of Lower Court Responses to the U.S. Supreme Court." Journal of Law and Courts. 7(2): 159-186.

Schorpp, Susanne, David Hoffman, and Benjamin J. Kassow. 2017. " `Tilted Scales:' The Impact of Federal Courts on American Income Inequality." Justice System Journal. 38(3): 213-240.

Masood, Ali S., Benjamin J. Kassow, and Donald R. Songer. 2017. "Precedent in a Judicial Hierarchy." American Politics Research. 45(3): 403-434.

Kassow, Benjamin J., Donald R. Songer, and Michael P. Fix. 2012. "The Influence of Precedent on State Supreme Courts." Political Research Quarterly 65(2): 372-384.

Kassow, Benjamin J., and Charles J. Finocchiaro. 2011. "Responsiveness and Electoral Accountability in the U.S. Senate." American Politics Research 39(6): 1019-1044.

Other Publications:

Kassow, Benjamin. 2020. Book review of Conservative Innovators: How State Are Challenging Federal Power by Ben Merriman. Published in Law & Politics Book Review. Editor-reviewed.

Kassow, Benjamin. 2019. "State High Courts & Precedent: Questions of Usage and Spread of Precedents" in Elgar Research Handbook on Law and Courts, edited by Lee D. Walker (Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas) and Susan Sterett (Professor & Director of Public Policy at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County), Edward Elgar Publishing. pp. pp. 280-289. Peer-reviewed.

Kassow, Benjamin. 2017. "Electoral College Alternatives: Tradeoffs"  in Picking the President, edited by Eric Burin (Professor of History at the University of North Dakota), Digital Press at University of North Dakota.  pp. 55-57.

Kassow, Benjamin. 2016. "Administrative Law Judges and Politics" in Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance, edited by Ali Farazmand (Professor of Public Administration at Florida Atlantic University), Springer Publishing.

Manuscripts Under Review (Article Length):

REDACTED TO PRESERVE THE ANONYMITY OF DOUBLE BLIND PEER REVIEW.

Manuscripts in Preparation:

REDACTED TO PRESERVE THE ANONYMITY OF DOUBLE BLIND PEER REVIEW.



Nistler College Research Award, University of North Dakota, 2019-2020 Academic Year

National Science Foundation Funding for Political Methodology Annual Meeting in Athens, GA (University of Georgia). July 24-26, 2014.

Prestage-Cook Travel Award, Southern Political Science Association Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. January 3-5, 2013.

Travel Grant from the Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina. Spring 2012.

Graduate Research Assistantship, University of South Carolina, Department of Political Science. Fall 2007-Spring 2008, Spring 2010.

Graduate Teaching/Instructional Assistantship, University of South Carolina, Department of Political Science. Fall 2008-Spring 2011.

Golden Key Honor Society membership. 2007.

Pi Sigma Alpha Political Science Honor Society membership. 2007.

PhD (Political Science; major in Public Law, minor in Research Methodology)-University of South Carolina, 2013
BA (Major in Political Science; minor in History)-Temple University, 2007

Additional Training:

Causal Inference Workshop, Northwestern University Law School, Chicago, IL. August 1-5, 2016: Causal Inference course.

Interconsortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Summer Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Summer 2009: Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Scaling and Dimensional Analysis.

Public Law/American Politics:

Constitutional Law (Governmental Powers and/or Civil Liberties/Rights)

Judicial Process

Judicial Politics

Comparative Judiciaries in Developed Countries

Comparative Judiciaries in Developing Countries

U.S. Supreme Court

American Political Development

Introduction to American Government

Administrative Law

American Political Institutions

Legislative Process

Research Methods/Statistical Methodologies:

Introduction to Statistical Analysis (graduate/undergraduate)

Introduction to Research Design (graduate/undergraduate)

Linear Regression

Maximum Likelihood Estimation

Panel/Cross-Sectional Time-Series Data

Time Series Data

Data Manipulation, Project Management, and Advanced Graphical Techniques

Techniques of Causal Inference

University Level Service:

At-Large Senator for UND Senate, (Fall 2019-Spring 2021).

Advisor for UND's Pre-Law Society, (Fall 2018-).

Advisor for UND's Mock Trial team, (Fall 2018-Spring 2021).

Moot Court Judge for the University of North Dakota Law School's internal Moot Court competition (Fall 2016, Fall 2019)

Associate Member of the University of North Dakota's Graduate Study Faculty, (Fall 2015-).

Co-Discussant for Constitution Day, University of North Dakota Law School, (Sep. 17, 2015; Sep. 16, 2016).

College-Level Service:

Chair of the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration Curriculum Committee, (Fall 2019-Spring 2022).

Member of the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration Curriculum Committee, (Fall 2018-).

Member of the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration Journal Quality List Committee, (Fall 2021-).

Member of the Nistler College of Business and Public Administration Tech Committee, (Fall 2017-Spring 2019).

Member of Evaluation Committee for AACSB Accreditation for MBA Program (Fall 2016).

Nistler College of Business and Public Administration Ambassador, (Fall 2015-.)

Department Level Service:

Chair of the MPA Steering Committee (Fall 2018-Spring 2021).

Member of Department of Political Science and Public Administration Scholarship and Awards Committee (Spring 2017-Spring 2019).

Independent Study Committee Chair for MPA Program: Richelle Ballenger (Fall 2018-Spring 2019).

Member of Independent Study Committee for MPA program: Dani Thompson (Fall 2016), Nick Mostardo (Spring 2016).

Member of Search Committee for Visiting Assistant Professor line (Diversity & Politics), Spring 2016.

Member of ad hoc Assessment Committee (Fall 2020-Spring 2021).

Reviewer for Peer-Reviewed Journals: American Political Science Review (2016, 2015), American Journal of Political Science(2016, 2015, 2014), Political Research Quarterly (2016, 2015), American Politics Research (2020, 2019, 2018, 2015), Justice System Journal (2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017), Journal of Law and Courts (2021, 2020, 2019), State Politics and Policy Quarterly (2019).

Reviewer for Book-Length Manuscripts/Book Proposals: Oxford University Press (2016), University of California Press (2019, 2018, 2016), Routledge Press (2015), Rowman & Littlefield (2016).

Panel Chair and Discussant (SPSA 2016); Panel Chair (SPSA 2016, MPSA 2020, 2015); Panel Discussant (SPSA 2019, 2018, 2016, MPSA 2021, 2019, 2017, 2014)

American Political Science Association (Law & Courts, Political Methodology, and Legislative Studies sections)

Midwest Political Science Association

Southern Political Science association

Society for Empirical Legal Studies

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