Mary Layton Atkinson
Associate Professor
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Academic Appointments:
Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, July 2020-present.
Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, July 2013–June 2020.
Education:
Ph.D. May 2013. Political Science. UNC-Chapel Hill.
M.A. May 2008. Political Science. The American University.
B.A. May 2004. Economics and Political Science. Guilford College.
Publications:
Books and Volumes:
Atkinson, Mary Layton, K. Elizabeth Coggins, James A. Stimson, and Frank R. Baumgartner. 2021. The Dynamics of Public Opinion. Elements in American Politics. Cambridge University Press.
Atkinson, Mary Layton. 2017. Combative Politics: The Media and Public Perceptions of Lawmaking. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Refereed Articles:
Atkinson, Mary Layton, Reza Mousavi and Jason H. Windett. 2023. “Detecting diverse perspectives: using text analytics to reveal sex differences in congressional debate about defense.” Political Research Quarterly. 76(1): 75-89.
Atkinson, Mary Layton. 2020. “Gender and Policy Agendas in the Post-War House.” Policy Studies Journal. 48(1): 133-156.
Atkinson, Mary Layton and Jason Harold Windett. 2019. “Gender Stereotypes and the Policy Priorities of Women in Congress” Political Behavior, 41(3): 769–789.
Atkinson, Mary Layton, John Lovett and Frank R. Baumgartner. 2014. “Measuring The Media Agenda,” Political Communication, 31(2): 355-380.
Other Research:
Atkinson, Mary Layton. 2018. “Real News, Fake News: For Lawmakers, No News is Good News.” Extensions: A Journal of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center. Winter, 2018.
Schaffner, Brian F. and Mary Layton Atkinson. 2009. “Taxing Death or Estates? When Frames Influence Citizens’ Issue Beliefs,” In Winning With Words: The Origins and Impact of Political Framing, Edited by Brian F. Schaffner and Patrick J. Sellers. Routledge Press.
Book Reviews:
Atkinson, Mary Layton. 2020. “Framing Inequality: News Media, Public Opinion, and the Neoliberal Turn in U.S. Public Policy. By Matt Guardino. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019. 328p. $99.00 Cloth, $29.95 Paper. – Fox Populism: Branding Conservatism as Working Class. By Reece Peck. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019. 308p. $99.99 Cloth, $29.99 Paper.” Perspectives on Politics 18 (2): 621–623.
Atkinson, Mary Layton. 2020. “A Nation Fragmented: The Public Agenda in the Information Age. By Jill A. Edy and Patrick C. Meirick. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. 2019. 278 pp. $104.50 (cloth). $34.95 (paper).” Public Opinion Quarterly. 84(1): 171–174, https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfz054
Works in Progress
Measuring the Ideology of Major Laws (with Ben Radford).
Gendered Issues, Gendered Voices? How co-partisan women and men debate masculine issues in the U.S. Congress (with Jason Windett).
Gender, Race, and the 2020 Democratic Primary Debates (with Scott Christensen).
Courses Taught:
Introduction to American Politics.
Women and Politics.
Media and Politics.
Senior Seminar: The Politics of Spin.
Senior Seminar: Women and Public Policy in the U.S.
Service & Associations:
Referee for the American Journal of Political Science, the American Political Science Review, the Journal of Politics, Journal of Race, Ethnicity and Politics, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Oxford University Press, Political Behavior, Political Research Quarterly, Research and Politics, and State Politics and Policy Quarterly.
Chair, University Faculty Research Grant Selection Committee. Fall 2024–Spring 2026.
University Faculty Council Representative. 2023/24 academic year.
Provost’s Task Force Member, Foundations of Democracy. 2023/24 academic year.
Women in Legislative Studies (WiLS). Research Seminar Co-Organizer. Fall 2023 to present.
Department Review Committee. Chair, 2023-24. Member, Fall 2020 – Spring 2022.
APSA Political Communication Section Paul Lazarsfeld Best Paper Award, Committee Member, 2021.
UNC Charlotte Liaison to the Free Expression and Constructive Dialogue Project, 2021/22 academic year.
Political Science Brown Bag Coordinator. 2021/22 and 2019/20 academic years.
Undergraduate Thesis Committees: Myia LeGrande (Chair, 2021/22 academic year), Ana Perez Ochoa (2021/22 academic year), Keelan Gobble (2020/21 academic year), Madison Tussey (Chair, Fall of 2019 and 2020), Jillian McCarthy (2020/21 academic year), Matthew Basal (Co-Chair, 2019/20 academic year), Oluwatobi Kalejaiye (2018/19 academic year), Hailey Sherman (Chair, 2016/17 academic year), Shea Hartley (2015/16 academic year).
Doctoral Thesis Committees (Public Policy): Samuel LaVergne (expected graduation date, spring 2021).
Personally Speaking Selection Committee Chair. Fall 2020-Spring 2021.
Affiliated Faculty, Women and Gender Studies Program (UNCC), Fall 2013–present.
Affiliated Faculty, Public Policy PhD Program (UNCC), Winter 2019-present.
Academic Advisor (UNCC Dept. of Political Science), Spring 2014-2016.
Member: American Political Science Association, Midwest Political Science Association, Southern Political Science Association.