James H. Fowler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| James H. Fowler | |
 James Fowler at the Harvard Conference on Networks in Political Science, June 14, 2008. Source: Paco Seoane, flickr.
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| Born | February 18, 1970 |
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| Residence | United States |
| Citizenship | American |
| Fields | Social network analysis Cooperation Political participation Genopolitics |
| Institutions | University of California, San Diego University of California, Davis |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (1992, 2001, 2003) Yale University (1997) |
| Known for | Obesity contagiousness Happiness contagiousness Genopolitics Genes and Social Networks Colbert bump |
James H. Fowler (born February 18, 1970) is an American political scientist specializing in social networks, cooperation, political participation, and genopolitics (the study of the genetic basis of political behavior). He is currently Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego.
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[edit] Background
Fowler earned a bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1992, a master's degree in International Relations from Yale University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Government from the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2003. He was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador from 1992 to 1994.
[edit] Research
Fowler's research centers on social networks.[1] He is best known for his studies of the social spread of obesity[2][3], smoking[4], and happiness[5][6] in the Framingham Heart Study, but he has also studied the network of legislative cosponsorships in the U.S. Congress[7][8] and the network of U.S. Supreme Court precedents.[9][10].
In addition to his research on social networks, Fowler has become known for his work on genopolitics, showing that genes influence voting and other forms of political participation.[11][12][13] Fowler used twin studies of voter turnout in Los Angeles and the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to establish that the decision to vote in the United States has very strong heritability.[14] He has also identified three genes that are associated with voter turnout and partisan attachment, specifically those regulating the serotonin and dopamine systems in the brain via the production of monoamine oxidase, 5HTT, and DRD2.[15][16]
More recently, he has shown evidence that social networks have a partly genetic basis.[17]
In other research, Fowler is known for his theoretical and experimental work on egalitarianism[18][19] and the evolution of cooperation,[20][21] with related work on altruism and political participation.[22]
[edit] The Colbert Report
On February 28, 2008, the Los Angeles Times published an op-ed that summarized Fowler's research showing that Democratic candidates who come on The Colbert Report receive 44% more in campaign donations in the first 30 days after appearing on the show.[23][24] Colbert pointed out the op-ed on his March 3, 2008 show. Fowler also appeared during the Threatdown on his December 10, 2008 show, describing his work on the spread of happiness in social networks.
[edit] Selected Publications
The Framingham Heart Study Social Network
- Fowler, J. H (3 January 2009). "Dynamic Spread of Happiness in a Large Social Network: Longitudinal Analysis Over 20 Years in the Framingham Heart Study" (PDF). British Medical Journal 338 (768): a2338. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/dynamic_spread_of_happiness.pdf.
- Christakis, N. A. (22 May 2008). "The Collective Dynamics of Smoking in a Large Social Network" (PDF). New England Journal of Medicine 358 (21): 2249–2258. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/collective_dynamics_of_smoking.pdf.
- Christakis, N. A. (26 July 2007). "The Spread of Obesity in a Large Social Network Over 32 Years" (PDF). New England Journal of Medicine 357 (4): 370–379. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/spread_of_obesity.pdf.
Genes and Politics
- Fowler, J. H. (7 Nov 2008). "Biology, Politics, and the Emerging Science of Human Nature" (PDF). Science 322 (5903): 912–914. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/biology_and_politics.pdf.
- Fowler, JAMES H. (May 2008). "Genetic Variation in Political Participation" (PDF). American Political Science Review 102 (2): 233–248. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/genetic_basis_of_political_cooperation.pdf.
- "Two Genes Predict Voter Turnout" (PDF). Journal of Politics 70 (3): 579–594. July 2008. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/two_genes_predict_voter_turnout.pdf.
- "Partisanship, Voting, and the Dopamine D2 Receptor Gene" (PDF). Journal of Politics. forthcoming. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/partisanship_voting_and_drd2.pdf.
Genes and Social Networks
- "Model of Genetic Variation in Human Social Networks" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106 (6): 1720–1724. 10 February 2009. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/genes_and_social_networks.pdf.
Experimental Studies of Cooperation and Egalitarianism
- Cesarini, D. (11 March 2008). "Heritability of Cooperative Behavior in the Trust Game" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105 (10): 3721–3726. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/heritability_of_cooperative_behavior.pdf.
- Dawes, Christopher T. (12 April 2007). "Egalitarian Motives in Humans" (PDF). Nature 446: 794–796. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/egalitarian_motives.pdf.
- Fowler, James H. (6 January 2005). "Egalitarian Motive and Altruistic Punishment" (PDF). Nature 433: E1. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/egalitarian_motive_and_altruistic_punishment.pdf.
- Mcdermott, Rose (April 2008). "On the Evolutionary Origin of Prospect Theory Preferences" (PDF). Journal of Politics 70 (2): 335–350. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/prospect_theory.pdf.
Evolutionary Models
- Fowler, J. H. (10 May 2005). "Altruistic Punishment and the Origin of Cooperation" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 102 (19): 7047–7049. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/altruistic_punishment_and_the_origin_of_cooperation.pdf.
- Fowler, James H. (22 September 2005). "Second Order Free Riding Problem Solved" (PDF). Nature 437: E8. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/second_order.pdf.
- "Two Genes Predict Voter Turnout" (PDF). Journal of Politics 70 (3): 579–594. July 2008. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/two_genes_predict_voter_turnout.pdf.
Altruism and Political Participation
- Fowler, James H. (August 2006). "Altruism and Turnout" (PDF). Journal of Politics 68 (3): 674–683. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/altruism_and_turnout.pdf.
- Fowler, James H. (August 2007). "Beyond the Self: Altruism, Social Identity, and Political Participation" (PDF). Journal of Politics 69 (3): 811–825. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/beyond_the_self.pdf.
Legislator Social Networks
- Fowler, J. H. (Fall 2006). "Connecting the Congress: A Study of Cosponsorship Networks" (PDF). Political Analysis 14 (4): 456–487. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/best_connected_congressperson.pdf.
- Fowler, J (October 2006). "Legislative Cosponsorship Networks in the U.S. House and Senate" (PDF). Social Networks 28 (4): 454–465. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/legislative_cosponsorship_networks.pdf.
Voter Social Networks
- Fowler, James H. (2005), Turnout in a Small World, in Zuckerman, Alan, "Social Logic of Politics", Temple University Press (Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press): pp. 269–287, ISBN 1592131484, http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/turnout_in_a_small_world.pdf
- Fowler, James H. (January 2005). "Dynamic Parties and Social Turnout: An Agent-Based Model" (PDF). American Journal of Sociology 110 (4): 1070–1094. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/dynamic_parties_and_social_turnout.pdf.
Network of Supreme Court Precedents
- Fowler, J (January 2008). "The Authority of Supreme Court Precedent" (PDF). Social Networks 30 (1): 16–30. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/authority_of_supreme_court_precedent.pdf.
- Fowler, J. H. (July 2007). "Network Analysis and the Law: Measuring the Legal Importance of Supreme Court Precedents" (PDF). Political Analysis 15 (3): 324–346. doi:. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/network_analysis_and_the_law.pdf.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Seed Salon: Albert-László Barabási and James Fowler". Seed. February 2009. http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2009/01/seed_salon_albertlaszlo_baraba.php.
- ^ "Are Friends And Family Making You Fat?". CBS Evening News. July 25, 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/07/25/eveningnews/main3097768.shtml.
- ^ "Study Says Obesity Can Be Contagious". New York Times. July 25, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/25/health/25cnd-fat.html.
- ^ "Study Finds Big Social Factor in Quitting Smoking". New York Times. May 22, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/science/22smoke.html.
- ^ "Happiness is Having Happy Friends". NBC Nightly News. December 5, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#28076564.
- ^ "Strangers May Cheer You Up, Study Says". New York Times. December 5, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/05/health/05happy-web.html.
- ^ "Inside the Beltway". Washington Times. April 13, 2005.
- ^ "In Session: Congress". Washington Post. April 11, 2005.
- ^ "Primary Sources". The Atlantic. December 2005.
- ^ "Statistical Modeling: The Wisdom of Hercules". The Economist. August 25, 2005. http://economist.com/science/displayStory.cfm?story_id=4316174.
- ^ "Eighth Annual Year in Ideas: Genopolitics". New York Times Magazine. December 12, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-B-t-007.html.
- ^ "The Biology of Ideology". Wall Street Journal. May 27, 2008. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122047003725696177.html.
- ^ "It's the Genes Stupid". New York Times. Sept 4, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/opinion/27tue4.html.
- ^ "The Genetics of Politics". Scientific American. November 2007. http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=the-genetics-of-politics.
- ^ "Are Politics Rooted in Your Genes?". CNN. February 11, 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/02/11/politics.genes/index.html.
- ^ "It’s the Genes, Stupid". New York Times. May 27, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/27/opinion/27tue4.html.
- ^ "Genes and the Friends You Make". Wall Street Journal. January 27, 2009. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123302040874118079.html.
- ^ "The Robin Hood impulse". The Daily Telegraph: p. 8. 12 April 2007. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2007/04/12/echood12.xml.
- ^ "Making the Paper: James Fowler". Nature 446 (7137): xiii. 12 April 2007. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v446/n7137/full/7137xiiia.html.
- ^ "Why We Need Nosy Parkers". U.S. News and World Report. June 13, 2005. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/culture/articles/050613/13behavior.htm.
- ^ "Groups Unite in Dislike of Freeloaders". National Public Radio. April 6, 2006. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5328549.
- ^ "Political Scientists Convene to Probe and Predict U.S. Elections". Chronicle of Higher Education. September 17, 2004.
- ^ Fowler, James H. (February 28, 2008). "Sharing the wealthiness". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-fowler28feb28,0,1569470.story.
- ^ Fowler, James H. (July 2008). "The Colbert Bump in Campaign Donations: More Truthful than Truthy" (PDF). PS: Political Science & Politics 41 (3): 533–539. http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/colbert_bump.pdf.
[edit] External links
- Personal webpage for James Fowler
- SSRN page with papers by James Fowler
- UCSD Political Science Department faculty
- James H. Fowler at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
- Video interview in Conversation with Tom Munnecke January 7, 2009
- Peace Corps Wiki article http://www.peacecorpswiki.org/James_Fowler
