Samuel L. Popkin (born June 9, 1942) is an American
political scientist
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
who teaches at the
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Insti ...
. Popkin has played a role in the development of
rational choice
Rational choice theory refers to a set of guidelines that help understand economic and social behaviour. The theory originated in the eighteenth century and can be traced back to political economist and philosopher, Adam Smith. The theory postul ...
theory within
political science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...
. He is also noted for his work as a
pollster
An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll (although strictly a poll is an actual election) is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...
.
Early life
Popkin was born on June 9, 1942. He received his Ph.D. from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
in 1969.
Career
His most recent book is ''The Candidate: What it Takes to Win (and Hold) the White House.'' Earlier he wrote ''The Reasoning Voter: Communication and Persuasion in Presidential Campaigns'' and co-authored ''Issues and Strategies: The Computer Simulation of Presidential Campaigns''. He also co-edited ''Chief of Staff: Twenty-Five Years of Managing the Presidency''.
When he was assistant professor of Government, in 1972, he was
jail
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US),