Charles Finocchiaro

Charles J. Finocchiaro is the Associate Director of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Oklahoma. His research and teaching interests span the fields of American politics and research methodology, with a particular focus on the development and organization of American political institutions (primarily the U.S. Congress) and congressional elections. Chuck’s ongoing work centers on the transformation of the U.S. House and congressional leadership during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He has also written recently on the impact of seating assignments on legislative voting behavior and the impact of war on presidential-congressional relations.

Finocchiaro’s published work appears in outlets such as the American Journal of Political Science, Political Research Quarterly, Legislative Studies Quarterly, and American Politics Research. He is the recipient of the Pi Sigma Alpha Award for the best paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Political Science Association and the CQ Press Award for the best paper on legislative politics presented at the annual meeting of the American Political Science Association.

Finocchiaro earned his Ph.D. from Michigan State University, where he was a Fellow in the Political Institutions and Public Choice Program (now housed at Duke University). Prior to his current appointment at OU, Finocchiaro held faculty appointments at the University of South Carolina and the University at Buffalo (SUNY).