2026 Craig Volden: Law Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Law	34	173	154	130	116	94	8896
Political Science	34	811	732	433	370	94	8896

Research.com Recognitions

2015 - Gladys M. Kammerer Award, American Political Science Association (APSA)

Overview

Craig Volden is affiliated with the University of Virginia in the United States. Their research primarily spans the field of social sciences, with a focus on political science and international relations, law, economics and econometrics, strategy and management, and gender studies.

The main topics addressed in their work include:

Judicial and Constitutional Studies
Electoral Systems and Political Participation
Political Influence and Corporate Strategies
Legal and Constitutional Studies
Gender Politics and Representation
Policy Transfer and Learning
Social Policy and Reform Studies

Volden has contributed to several recent papers, including:

"Legislative Effectiveness in the American States" (2024), published in American Political Science Review
"A Female Policy Premium? Agency Context and Women's Leadership in the U.S. Federal Bureaucracy" (2020), published in Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
"The Bipartisan Path to Effective Lawmaking" (2023), published in The Journal of Politics
"The Primary Path for Turning Legislative Effectiveness into Electoral Success" (2022), published in The Journal of Politics
"Do constituents know (or care) about the lawmaking effectiveness of their representatives?" (2021), published in Political Science Research and Methods

Frequent co-authors include:

Alan E. Wiseman
Peter Bucchianeri
Laurel Harbridge-Yong
Charles R. Shipan
Rachel Augustine Potter

Volden has published in a variety of academic journals, with notable frequent publication venues being:

The Journal of Politics
Harvard Dataverse
American Political Science Review
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
Political Science Research and Methods

They have also authored a book titled Why Bad Policies Spread (and Good Ones Don't) (2021), published by Cambridge University Press.

In 2015, Craig Volden received the Gladys M. Kammerer Award from the American Political Science Association (APSA).

Best Publications

The mechanisms of policy diffusion

Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

1615
Citations
States as Policy Laboratories: Emulating Success in the Children's Health Insurance Program

Craig Volden

758
Citations
Bottom-Up Federalism: The Diffusion of Antismoking Policies from U.S. Cities to States

Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

693
Citations
Policy Diffusion: Seven Lessons for Scholars and Practitioners

Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

674
Citations
The Diffusion of Policy Diffusion Research in Political Science

Erin R. Graham;Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

617
Citations
Revolving Gridlock: Politics And Policy From Carter To Clinton

David W. Brady;Craig Volden

470
Citations
A Formal Model of Learning and Policy Diffusion

Craig Volden;Michael M. Ting;Daniel P. Carpenter

459
Citations
Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress: The Lawmakers

Craig Volden;Alan E. Wiseman

315
Citations
The Politics of Competitive Federalism: A Race to the Bottom in Welfare Benefits?

Craig Volden

308
Citations
The Role of Policy Attributes in the Diffusion of Innovations

Todd Makse;Craig Volden

303
Citations
When Are Women More Effective Lawmakers Than Men

Craig Volden;Alan E. Wiseman;Dana E. Wittmer

270
Citations
Legislative Effectiveness in the United States Congress

Unknown

246
Citations
Erratum: A Formal Model of the Politics of Delegation in a Separation of Powers System

Craig Volden

239
Citations
Coalitional Politics and Logrolling in Legislative Institutions

Clifford J. Carrubba;Craig Volden

205
Citations
The Formation of Oversized Coalitions in Parliamentary Democracies

Craig Volden;Clifford J. Carrubba

200
Citations
Ideology, Learning, and Policy Diffusion: Experimental Evidence

Daniel M. Butler;Craig Volden;Adam M. Dynes;Boris Shor

174
Citations
Intergovernmental Political Competition in American Federalism

Craig Volden

157
Citations
Delegating Power to Bureaucracies: Evidence from the States

Craig Volden

145
Citations
Bargaining in Legislatures over Particularistic and Collective Goods

Craig Volden;Alan E. Wiseman

140
Citations
A Formal Model of the Politics of Delegation in a Separation of Powers System

Unknown

104
Citations
How Strong Should Our Party Be? Party Member Preferences Over Party Cohesion

Craig Volden;Elizabeth Bergman

97
Citations
Intergovernmental Grants: A Formal Model of Interrelated National and Subnational Political Decisions

Craig Volden

92
Citations
When the smoke clears: expertise, learning and policy diffusion

Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

89
Citations
Top-Down Federalism: State Policy Responses to National Government Discussions

Pamela J. Clouser McCann;Charles R. Shipan;Craig Volden

79
Citations
Women’s Issues and Their Fates in the US Congress

Craig Volden;Alan E. Wiseman;Dana E. Wittmer

68
Citations

Frequent Co-Authors

Charles R. Shipan University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

David W. Brady Stanford University

Clifford J. Carrubba Emory University

Daniel Carpenter Harvard University

External Links

Personal website of Craig Volden

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

If you’re thinking about law, it’s worth considering related fields that connect with legal expertise. One growing area is user experience, where understanding how digital products comply with regulations is key. You can expand your skillset with an online ux degree to enter the digital design world with a legal perspective.

Project management also offers versatile career opportunities, including compliance and legal project roles. Wondering if is a bachelor degree in project management worth it? Many professionals find it complements a law background, opening doors to leadership roles in diverse sectors.

The financial tech space, especially blockchain and cryptocurrencies, requires legal experts to navigate emerging regulations. A masters in crypto can help you specialize at the intersection of law and new technologies.

Finally, sports management often intersects with sports law, contracts, and compliance. If you’re interested in fast-tracking your career, consider one of the best online sports management degrees, which often have electives related to legal and ethical issues in sports.