Research
Dissertation Research
My dissertation is entitled When Theology Responds: How Politics Shapes Religious Belief. It explores the extent to which group divisions driven by politics can shape theological beliefs among the faithful in America. I argue that religious polarization and group conflict have changed the way American Christians think and speak about their faith. In support of this argument, I use mixed methods, including automated and qualitative text analysis, to examine patterns in religious belief expressed in Christian periodicals. I then link these patterns to shifting religious and political divisions over time. Furthermore, I articulate a new theoretical framework for political scientists to understand and measure religious belief more effectively. When Theology Responds received the 2022 Charles Sumner Prize for the best dissertation "tending toward the establishment of universal peace," as well as the 2023 Aaron Wildavsky Dissertation Award of the Religion & Politics Section of American Political Science Association.
Publications
Bucchianeri, Peter, Riley Carney, Ryan D. Enos, Amy Lakeman, and Gabrielle Malina. 2022. "What Explains Local Policy Cleavages?: Examining Policy Preferences of Public Officials at the Municipal Level." Social Science Quarterly.
Strange, Austin, Ryan D. Enos, Mark Hill, and Amy Lakeman. 2019. "Online Volunteer Laboratories for Human Subjects Research." PLOS ONE 14(8):e0221676.
Uden, Amy. "A Checklist for Alternatives in City-County Consolidation Decisions: From Separation to Unification." 2016. State and Local Government Review. 48(1):49-62.
Works in Progress
"The Effect of Judges' Religious Diversity on Support for Religious Liberty Claims." (with Albert Rivero). Under Review.
"The Strength of Theology: How Public Opinion Best Practices Can Chart a Path Forward for Religious Belief."
"Can We Replicate the Ideal Nordic Welfare Model?" (with Mike Jindra).