Ryan Mundy

Hello! I am a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of California, Irvine. My research focuses on American politics, political economy, campaign finance, and representation. 

My dissertation investigates how economic elites leverage our campaign finance system to shape electoral and policy outcomes, reinforcing existing inequalities in political representation. Using diverse quantitative methods, I focus on three key themes: (1) patterns in billionaire contributions, particularly through non-direct channels such as Super PACs and dark money organizations, (2) the relationship between political giving and tangible policy rewards for the billionaire class through government contracts and merger approvals, and (3) dynastic giving by billionaire heirs and the role of political contributions in maintaining elite influence over time. 

My work has been accepted for publication at the American Journal of Political Science, and has been published in Political Research Quarterly and the Journal of Political Science Education.

Prior to beginning my PhD, I received a B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Environmental Science from California Lutheran University. I have also worked for the California State Assembly.

Email: rmundy@uci.edu