This is a great program that provided invaluable support for my dissertation work that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

I’m happy to answer any questions or share insights from my experience applying or as a grantee.

Check out the thread below about my new article with @fatiherol.bsky.social and @aleksks.bsky.social in @ispp-pops.bsky.social !

We show that better sleep quality is associated with being more likely to vote, but that poor sleep quality leads to more engagement in non-electoral political acts.

Learning to Avoid: The Long-term Effects of Adolescent Welfare Participation on Voting Habits in Adulthood Despite many citizens in the United States first experiencing welfare policies during adolescence, we have yet to uncover the extent to which welfare participation during this period affects politi…

BLOG POST ALERT!

Check out the latest PSJ blog asking: Do early experiences with welfare shape whether we vote later in life?

By Nathan K. Micatka

Read here:
psjblog.net/2026/02/18/l...

#PSJ #PolicyStudiesJournal

Thank you!

Dive into this PSJ open-access article analyzing turnout patterns among young adults and explore the mechanisms connecting adolescent welfare participation to later voting behavior.

By Nathan K. Micatka

Read here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

My new article in Political Research Quarterly is OnlineFirst!

I find initial negative policy experiences in youth predict lower political trust as an adult, but this reverses as encounters accumulate. Results are specific to non-Hispanic white individuals.

Check it out: t.co/ufJbBqueq9

Can nonpartisan primaries boost turnout and lessen demographic disparities? U.S. congressional general elections are largely uncompetitive, featuring candidates who emerge from low-turnout primaries. Voters in these primaries are unrepresentative of the broader electorate; pr...

Excited to share a new article with Caroline Tolbert & Todd Donovan now out in @plos.org One!

Using state voter file data, we find that nonpartisan primaries are linked to higher turnout across age, education, & income groups, especially among younger voters.

doi.org/10.1371/jour...

My article in Policy Studies Journal, “Learning to Avoid,” is now officially assigned to an issue! Check it out along with the other excellent pieces featured in the new release soon.

Many thanks again to all who supported this work, provided feedback at various stages, and encouraged me. I'm also grateful to @apsa.bsky.social for supporting my work through the DDRIG Program!

This work has important implications for how we think about the transmission of political inequality over time and calls for a refocus on how political attitudes and behavior develop. Check out the full project: proquest.com/dissertation...

When it comes to program perceptions, I find that welfare programs that provide more stable benefits and are more accessible (e.g., Head Start) tend to be viewed more positively, while those that are more restrictive and targeted (e.g., TANF) are viewed more negatively.

In Chapter 5, I use original survey data to explore economic hardship, civic engagement, & program perceptions. Those who are on welfare as adolescence are more likely to report avoiding politics but tend to think gov't programs are adequate.

In Chapter 4, I find that Black adolescents who were on welfare grow up to hold more liberal views than peers who weren’t on welfare. Youth welfare participation is also linked to greater affective polarization in adulthood, depending on which programs were experienced.

In Chapter 3, I explore state policy context. In states with less punitive programs, Black youth on AFDC are more likely to vote in their first election than their peers not on welfare. That advantage disappears in more punitive states. No effects for white or Hispanic youth.

In the first empirical chapter (in @psjeditor.bsky.social), I identify three pathways linking adolescent welfare participation to voting in adulthood. Using longitudinal data & original qualitative data, I find that non-Hispanic whites on welfare in youth are less likely to vote as adults.

My dissertation, "Socializing Policy Feedback: The Persistent Effects of Adolescent Policy Program Use on Political Behaviors & Attitudes in Adulthood", is live on ProQuest! In this project, I bring together the policy feedback & political socialization literatures. A thread 🧵

Thanks Sara!

Thank you!

Today, I successfully defended my dissertation on the relationship between adolescent welfare participation and political behavior in adulthood! Many thanks to my advisor,
Julie Pacheco, and committee members Rene Rocha, Caroline Tolbert, Tracy Osborn, and Andrea Campbell.🎊🥳

I am thrilled to share that I'll be joining the Dept. of Political Science and Criminal Justice at the University of South Alabama this fall as a tenure track Assistant Professor! Endless thanks to my committee and everyone who supported me along the way. #GoJags #ReadySouthGo

<em>Policy Studies Journal</em> | PSO Public Policy Journal | Wiley Online Library Welfare participation is associated with lower turnout among adults. For many citizens, however, their first experiences with welfare occur during a critical time of political development in adolesce...

My first solo article is now published online at @psjeditor.bsky.social! In this work, I explore the relationship between adolescent welfare participation and voting in adulthood using longitudinal and original qualitative data. Take a look! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Thank you Noah!

<em>Policy Studies Journal</em> | PSO Public Policy Journal | Wiley Online Library Welfare participation is associated with lower turnout among adults. For many citizens, however, their first experiences with welfare occur during a critical time of political development in adolesce...

My first solo article is now published online at @psjeditor.bsky.social! In this work, I explore the relationship between adolescent welfare participation and voting in adulthood using longitudinal and original qualitative data. Take a look! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Physician Voting Rates in the 2020 and 2022 US Elections This cross-sectional study compares the actual voting rates between physicians and the general adult population in the US.

New research now out in JAMA Health Forum with Julie Pacheco and Caroline Tolbert! Using administrative data, we find that physicians vote at higher rates than the general public. Check it out! jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Physician Voting Rates in the 2020 and 2022 US Elections This cross-sectional study compares the actual voting rates between physicians and the general adult population in the US.

New research now out in JAMA Health Forum with Julie Pacheco and Caroline Tolbert! Using administrative data, we find that physicians vote at higher rates than the general public. Check it out! jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Very excited to have been selected to participate in the University of Iowa Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI)’s Dissertation Completion Program in the spring! Many thanks to CSSI for supporting my research and professional development.

cssi.research.uiowa.edu/news/2024/12...

Congratulations, Kyle! 🎉🥳

My new article with Caroline Tolbert & Rob Boatright is now published in the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy! We examine the impact of all candidate primaries and open primaries on turnout using @catalist.bsky.social. It will be OA soon. #polisky

dx.doi.org/10.1561/113....

My new article with Caroline Tolbert & Rob Boatright is now published in the Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy! We examine the impact of all candidate primaries and open primaries on turnout using @catalist.bsky.social. It will be OA soon. #polisky

dx.doi.org/10.1561/113....

My article with Julie Pacheco at Political Research Quarterly now has an issue number! Check out our article, "Socializing Policy Feedback: The Long-Term Effects of Adolescent Program Participation on Adult Party Identification."

doi.org/10.1177/1065...