David King

David C. King is Senior Lecturer in Public Policy at The Harvard Kennedy School and Faculty Chair of the Masters in Public Administration program. Professor King chairs Harvard’s Bi-Partisan Program for Newly Elected Members of the U.S. Congress, and he directs the Program for Senior Executives in State & Local Government.

Since joining the Harvard faculty in 1992, Professor King’s courses have focused on Legislatures, Political Parties, and Interest Groups. He is also a member of the core faculty within the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and serves as the Board Chair for the pro-democracy group, Initiatives for China.

In the wake of the 2000 presidential elections, Professor King directed the Task Force on Election Administration for the National Commission on Election Reform, chaired by former presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. That effort culminated in landmark voting rights legislation signed by President Bush in late 2002. He later oversaw an evaluation and new management structure for the Boston Election Department.

Professor King is the author, co-author, and co-editor of three books, and he has published in a range of journals, including The American Political Science Review, and The Journal of Politics. Professor King’s current research, with James D’Angelo and Brent Ranalli, focuses on the history and consequences of “transparency” reforms in the U.S. Congress.

Selected Publications

• King, David C., Richard Zeckhauser, and Mark Kim. "The Management Performance of the U.S. States." KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series RWP04-028, July 2004.

Academic Journal/Scholarly Articles

• Belenky, Alexander S., and David C. King. "A Mathematical Model for Estimating the Potential Margin of State Undecided Voters for a Candidate in a U.S. Federal Election." Mathematical and Computer Modelling 45.5-6 (March 2007): 585-593.
• King, David C. "Partisan Mobilization Campaigns in the Field: Results from a Statewide Turnout Experiment in Michigan." Political Research Quarterly 59 (March 2006): 85-98.
• King, David C., and Richard E. Matland. "Sex and the Grand Old Party." American Politics Research 31.6 (November 2003).
• King, David C., and Richard Zeckhauser. "Congressional Vote Options." Legislative Studies Quarterly 28.3 (2003): 387-411.

Books

King, David C. The Generation of Trust: How the U.S. Military Has Regained the Public's Confidence Since Vietnam. American Enterprise Institute, 2003.

Book Chapters

• King, David C., and David Morehouse. "Moving Voters in the 2000 Presidential Campaign: Local Visits and Local Media." Lights, Camera, Campaign. Ed. David Schultz. Peter Lang, 2004.
• Matland, Richard E., and David C. King. "Women as Candidates in Congressional Elections." Women Transforming Congress. Ed. Cindy Simon Rosenthal. University of Oklahoma Press, 2002.
• Groseclose, Tim, and David C. King. "Committee Theories Reconsidered." Congress Reconsidered. Ed. Lawrence C. Dodd and Bruce I. Oppenheimer. CQ, 2001.

Research Papers/Reports

• King, David C. "Redefining Political Attitudes and Activism." Harvard University, Institute of Politics, April 11, 2006.
• King, David C. "Redefining Political Attitudes and Activism." Harvard University, Institute of Politics, November 16, 2005.
• King, David C. "Coming of Age: The Political Awakening of a Generation." Harvard University, Institute of Politics, October 2004.
• King, David C. "College and University Voter Mobilization Efforts." Harvard University, Institute of Politics, September 2004.
• King, David C. "Are You Talking to Me? A Guide to Reaching Young Voters." Harvard University, Institute of Politics, August 2004.
• King, David C. "Congress, Polarization, and Fidelity to the Median Voter." Working Paper, March 10, 2003.
• Borck, Jonathan C., David C. King, and Richard Zeckhauser. "Contribution Shares in Alliances." Proceedings of the IASTED International Conference on Alliances, Mergers, and Acquisitions, 2003.
• King, David C. "Selling International News." Working Paper, December 9, 2002.
• King, David C. "Party Competition and Fidelity to the Median Voter in the U.S. Congress." Working Paper, December 18, 2001.

Reviews

King, David C. Review of Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress, by Eric Schickler. American Political Science Review, September 2002.

Commentary

• Gerwin, Leslie E., and David C. King. "New Orleans Vote Raises Fairness Issue." Boston Globe, April 18, 2006.
• King, David C. "Youth Came Through with Big Turnout." Boston Globe, November 4, 2004.
• King, David C. "Engage Children in Election Education." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, October 16, 2004.
• King, David C. "The Politics of DisIntegration." Spectacle.org, August 18, 2004.
• King, David C. "The Boomers' Babies." Wall Street Journal, March 31, 2003.
• King, David C. "Election Reform as an Unfunded Mandate." Boston Review, October/November 2001.

Magazine and Newspaper Articles

King, David C. "Constitutional Reform in Bolivia: The 2005 Presidential Election." ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America (Spring 2006): 11-15.

Outside Professional Activities

Transparent Engagement

Harvard Kennedy School is proud of its energetic involvement in the world. To better understand how to solve public problems by improving policy and leadership, we engage directly with policymakers, public leaders, governments, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses whose activities affect those problems. However, we recognize that such engagement can raise questions about perceived and potential conflicts of interest, so we disclose publicly the key professional activities of our faculty outside the Kennedy School.

Outside Professional Activities For David King

Unpaid Board Chair, NGO: Initiatives for China. Role includes helping founder, and HKS graduate, Jianli Yang, negotiate relationships with State and Local governmental leaders in the United states. Engagement on a twice-a-month basis throughout the academic year. This notice was updated in March 2017, and the relationship with Initiatives for China will presumably continue through AY18.

Unpaid Board Member, NGO: Revels. Role involves monthly board meetings to help this Cambridge-based arts and music organization provide educational services in the community and to produce an annual show in Sanders Theatre every December. This notice was updated in March 2017, and the relationship with Revels will presumably continue through AY18.

Unpaid Advisor, Local Government: Boston Election Board. Periodically review the resumes and backgrounds for the Boston Election Department. Engagement once per quarter throughout the academic year. This notice was updated in March 2017, and the relationship with the Boston Election Board will presumably continue through AY18.