Northern Illinois University
Department of Political Science
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Emphasis

• American Politics
  • Voter Behavior and Political Participation
  • Political Socialization and Public Opinion
  • Campaigns and Elections
  • Institutions
• Research Methodology

Overview of Scholarly Activity

April K. Clark is Assistant Chair and a professor in the Department of Political Science. She also serves as the department’s internship director for undergraduate students. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Santa Barbara, California, and her B.A. from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Prior to coming to NIU, Clark was a research associate at the Pew Research Center (Social and Demographic Trends, and the People and the Press). Her research and teaching interests include political behavior and public opinion, specifically survey research, voting, political participation, civic engagement, and environmental politics. Her published work covers a broad array of topics, including environmentalism, social trust, social capital, political tolerance, corruption, and politics and religion.

Her research has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Huffington Post, NBC.com, and other national and local media outlets. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on American politics, political behavior, public opinion, political psychology, and research methods.

Selected Publications

2022. Clark, April K. and Kaylar Recker (NIU Political Science graduate student), "Congressional Corruption by the Numbers," in Scandal and Corruption in Congress, ed. Michael J. Pomante II. United Kingdom: Emerald Insight Publishers. pp. 103-126.

2020. Clark, April K., Florian Justwan, Juliet E. Carlisle, and Michael Clark. "Polarization Politics and Hopes for a Green Agenda in the U.S." Environmental Politics, 29(4): 719-745.

2019. Leiter, Debra, April K. Clark, and Michael Clark. "Winners and Losers Reconsidered: Party Support, Character Valence, and Satisfaction with Democracy." European Political Science Review, 11(3): 285-300.

2019. Clark, April K., and Juliet E. Carlisle. "Pushing Forward a Green Agenda: Cohort and Period Effects on Support for Environmental Funding." Political Research Quarterly, 73(2): 243-260.

2018. Justwan, Florian, Bert Baumgaertner, Juliet E. Carlisle, April K. Clark, and Michael Clark. "Social Media Echo Chambers and Democratic Dissatisfaction." Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, 28(4): 424-442.

2018. Eisenstein, Marie, and April K. Clark. "Gendered Support for Democratic Values? The Mediating Influence of Psychological Security on Norm Support and Political Tolerance." Journal of Religion & Society, 20: 1-24.

2017. Eisenstein, Marie, and April K. Clark. "Explaining Differing Democratic Norm Commitment: Rethinking the Religion-Psychological Security-Democratic Norm Support Connection Politics and Religion." Politics and Religion, 10(4): 753-785.

2017. Eisenstein, Marie, April K. Clark, and Ted Jelen. "Political Tolerance and Religion: An Age-Period-Cohort Analysis, 1984-2014." Review of Religious Research, 59(3): 395-418.

2017. Carlisle, Juliet E., and April K. Clark. "Green for God: The Role of Religion and Environmentalism." Environment and Behavior, 50(2): 213-241.

2016. Clark, April K. "Updating the Gender Gap(s): A Multilevel Approach to What Underpins Changing Cultural Attitudes." Politics and Gender, 13(1): 26-56.

2015. Clark, April K. "Rethinking the Decline in Social Capital." Special issue marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of Robert Putnam's seminal article "Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital." American Politics Research, 43(4): 569-601.