Peer-Reviewed Publications:

• Arnzen, C.; Brezicha, K., Childs, J., Germain, E., Horsford, S., Jenkins, D.A., & LoBue, A. 2023. “The Future of Democratic Education in an Era of Pandemics and Political Polarization.” Peabody Journal of Education.

• Arnzen, C. & D. Houston. 2023. “Who Should Control Education Now? Revisiting Preferences for Local Control of Educational Decision-making.” Peabody Journal of Education. DOI: 10.1080/0161956X.2023.2261315  

Working Papers: 

• Arnzen, C. & Cohodes, S. “Explaining the Gender Gap in Voting: Civic Returns to Education.”

Abstract: Women have outpaced men both at the ballot box and in educational attainment in recent decades in the United States. Since education is closely tied to political participation, we consider these two trends in tandem and assess how much of the gender gap in voting  is attributable to educational differences, differential returns to education, or other, non-education related elements. Using comprehensive educational data from Massachusetts students matched with voter records, we estimate a Blinder-Oaxaca-Kitagawa decomposition to understand how educational attainment and other educational experiences contribute to gender voting differentials. In our sample, women outvote men by 4.4 percentage points in the first possible presidential election that young people can vote in after allowing time to complete college. We find that roughly 60 percent of this gap in voting is due to differences in educational attainment by gender, with only some of the remaining portion of variation explained by either gendered differences in educational experiences or gendered returns to these educational characteristics. These results broadly suggest that the gender gap in voting can largely be explained by a rise in women's education and that if men reached the educational levels of women, we would expect higher voting rates for men.

• Arnzen, C. “Disenfranchisement by Degree: The Administrative Burden of Voting in U.S. States.”

Abstract: The multitude of state election laws enacted in recent years implies a widespread acknowledgement that the "direct costs" of voting matter. Recent studies have affirmed that the costs of voting, such as those imposed by changes in election laws requiring voter identification, can reduce turnout particularly among certain groups. Other work has demonstrated laws that reduce the costs of voting do not always increase turnout. Amidst these conflicting findings, I argue that the impact of changes in the cost of voting are best understood in aggregate, as the process of voting in each state is governed by a web of overlapping laws and requirements. I further argue that increases to the direct costs of voting disproportionately impact areas with less-educated populations. Using two-way fixed effects models for county-level voter turnout in the six presidential elections between 2000 and 2020, I estimate that a standard deviation increase in the aggregate "costs of voting" decrease turnout in U.S. counties by 1.1 percentage points. Additional estimates show that the impacts are concentrated among counties with the lowest education levels---a one standard deviation increase in the cost of voting only decreases turnout by 0.86 percentage points in highly-educated counties of each state. Echoing work that shows such administrative burdens disproportionately affect less educated individuals, these findings offer suggestive evidence that increases in the costs of voting push less educated individuals out of the electorate. 

• Arnzen, C & O'Neill, C. "Teaching About Schooling: Integrating Education Politics into Political Science Curricula"

  • Abstract: Education is a vital tenet of a democratic society, equipping citizens with the skills necessary to self-govern. Individuals also experience K12 education policy consistently throughout their lives, as a student, a parent, a taxpayer, and/or a community member. For these reasons, we argue for the inclusion of education politics in political science education. We highlight the importance of this integration for students, the discipline, and democratic ideals. We emphasize that education, a crucial public good, has always been a political institution, yet political science curricula often overlook this aspect. By incorporating education politics into political science courses, we believe we can enhance students' understanding of democratic processes, prepare them for various professional opportunities, and foster civic engagement. Our paper provides a framework for political science educators to integrate education politics into their curricula, illustrating the connections between education politics and key political science concepts.

• Arnzen, C.  "The Civic Benefits of State Education Policy Investments."

  • Abstract: Individuals with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely to vote. Though this associational relationship is one of the most cited in political science, research has only recently confirmed that educational attainment increases voting. However, we still know little about which specific aspects of education matter---beyond years of formal schooling or degrees held. To advance beyond these measures, this paper explores whether state education policy variation in approaches to civics education, academic achievement, social and emotional learning, educational differentiation, and teacher resources can shed light on youth voter turnout (18 to 25 years-olds). Using state-level youth turnout data for national elections between 2010 and 2022 matched with a series of lagged education policy measures, this paper employs a series of two-way fixed effect regression models to explore whether state education policy can shape youth civic engagement. Results show that educational attainment predicts turnout at the state level, though not for young voters. Further, while most lagged measures for civic education, academic achievement, and educational differentiation exhibit no relationship with youth turnout, states with higher policy measures for social and emotional learning and education funding are consistently positively associated with higher turnout rates for youth. These findings illuminate the important dynamics of education that may shape voter turnout.

• 2024. “Disenfranchisement by Degree: Education & The Administrative Burdens of Voting.” Delivered at the American Political Science Association Conference. (September 2024) 

• 2024. “Teaching About Schooling: Integrating Education Politics into the Poliatical Science Curriculum.” Delivered at the American Political Science Association Teaching & Learning Conference. (September 2024)

• 2024. “The Link between Education & Voting: The Role of Administrative Burden.” Delivered at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference. (April 2024) 

• 2024. “Quantity vs. Quality of Education: Expanding Our Understanding of How Education Causes Voting.” Delivered at the American Education Research Association Conference. (April 2024) 

• 2024. “The Political Polarization of Education Politics: Implications for Democratic Education.” Delivered the American Education Research Association Conference. (April 2024)

• 2023. "Rural Attitudes toward Education & Education Reform." Poster Presentation at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference.

• 2023. "Education & Administrative Burden: The Case of Voting." Paper Presentation at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference.

• 2022. “Understanding How Education, School Type, & Gender Influence Civic Participation: Evidence from Massachusetts.” Paper Presentation at the Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management Conference. 

• 2022. “Revisiting Preferences for Local Control in Education.” Paper Presentation at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference.

• 2021. “Schools & Society: The Federal Role in Education.” Guest Lecture at The College of Idaho’s Schools & Society Seminar.

• 2020. “Common Core & The Federal Role in Education.” Guest Lecture at The College of Idaho’s Schools & Society Seminar.

• 2017. “Learned Distrust: Examining the Link Between Education and Trust in Government in Zambia.” Poster Presentation given at Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference.

• Contributed to An Encyclopedia of Youth Activism in America. New York, NY: Bloomsbury

• "Legislators need to confront local funding as they consider rewriting the state funding formula." Idaho Ed News. November 7, 2020. Link.

• "One third of Idaho districts protect LGBTQ employees with policies." Idaho Ed News. August 19, 2019. Link.

• "Most districts come close to complying with Idaho’s transparency laws." Idaho Ed News. July 29, 2019. Link.

• Gaffney, Elisabeth. 2023. "Experts say friendship between Rep. Randy Fine, Barbara Feingold complicates presidential search." in The University Press of Florida Atlantic University.