Craig Volden is a professor of public policy and politics, with appointments in the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy and the Woodrow Wilson Department of Politics.  He studies legislative politics and the interaction among political institutions, with a focus on what policy choices arise from legislative-executive relations and from American federalism. 

Before joining the Batten School, Prof. Volden taught at the Ohio State University, the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and Claremont Graduate University.  His major work, Revolving Gridlock, co-authored with David Brady, explores the conditions under which members of Congress are able to overcome the constraints that frequently produce policy gridlock.  He has published numerous articles in such journals as: American Political Science Review; American Journal of Political Science; Journal of Politics; Legislative Studies Quarterly; Journal of Law, Economics & Organization; and Publius: The Journal of Federalism.

His current projects include studies of innovation and policy diffusion across states and localities, an examination of business-government relations regarding product quality regulations, and an analysis of the legislative effectiveness of individual members of Congress.