Michael Catalano

Education

B.S., Gettysburg College
M.S., Ph.D., Binghamton University

Expertise

Michael Catalano is an Assistant Professor of Political Science. He was born and raised in Cortland, NY (just up I-81 from The University of Scranton). He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania in 2006, double majoring in Political Science and Environmental Studies. After several years of working in the conservation and non-profit sectors, he earned his Masters of Arts (2019) and Doctorate (2024) in Political Science from Binghamton University in New York.

Teaching interests: Dr. Catalano teaches courses on American Politics, law and courts, judicial politics, US Constitutional Law, and political theory.

Research Interests: Dr. Catalano’s research interests explore the motivations of majoritarian institutions (i.e., legislatures, executives, political parties, and nomination and selection systems) to constrain or empower courts and the implications of those actions on judicial behavior. His published work appears in a number of academic journals, such as Political Research Quarterly, Justice System Journal, and Journal of Political Institutions and Political Economy, as well as multiple chapters in edited volumes and books on US and comparative courts.