Biography
Mark P. Jones, Ph.D., is the fellow in political science at the Baker Institute, the Joseph D. Jamail Chair in Latin American Studies and a professor in the Department of Political Science at Rice University.
Jones also serves as the faculty director of Rice’s Master of Global Affairs program. His research focuses on the effect of electoral laws and other political institutions on governance, representation and voting. He has received substantial financial support for this research, including grants from the National Science Foundation. His research has been published in journals such as the American Journal of Political Science, Electoral Studies and the Journal of Politics, as well as in edited volumes published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and Penn State University Press, among others. He is a frequent contributor to Texas media outlets, and his research on the Texas Legislature has been widely cited in the media as well as by numerous political campaigns.
Jones regularly advises U.S. government institutions on economic and political affairs in Argentina and has conducted research on public policy issues in Latin America and Texas for numerous international, national and local organizations, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the U.S. Department of Defense, the Texas Department of Agriculture and the city of Houston. He is a frequent commentator in local, state, national and international media on government, politics and public policy. He is currently working on two principal research agendas, one that examines the impact of political institutions on politics and public policy in Latin America, and the other that analyzes the evolution of partisan politics in Texas over the past 50 years. Jones received his doctorate from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University.
Jones leads the Baker Institute’s Argentina Program and helps direct the Presidential Elections Program.
Contact at [email protected] or 713-348-2107.
Recent Publications
In Washington Post: Safe house for the undocumented under threat
“He’s already achieved what he wants to achieve,” Jones said of the attorney general. “His goal is to gain the publicity for going after Annunciation House and also putting pressure on it and other nonprofits to be more cautious.”
In Associated Press: Democrat in support of ban on gender-affirming care loses primary
“This sends a clear message to Democratic elected officials that if you break with the party on key issues, ... you really run the risk of getting primaried and removed from office,” Jones said. “It’s the same type of purge and litmus test we’ve seen in the Republican Party recently.”
On Georgia Public Broadcasting: Building Better Elections forum
The "Building Better Elections" forum co-hosted by the Carter Center and the Baker Institute on May 17 kicked off with an informative panel discussion about security and innovation in election administration moderated by Mark P. Jones.
Books and Book Chapters
External Publications