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Nick Theobald
Public Policy/Administration, American Politics, Methods

Contact Information
Office: Building 47, Room 11L
Phone: 805-756-2978
E-mail: ntheobal@calpoly.edu

I grew up on the Central Coast, graduating from Morro Bay High in 1986. Immediately after graduating from high school, I had aspirations of running my own restaurant, and would end up working for the same Italian restaurant for 13 years. I also had aspirations of racing bicycles professionally. While I never attainted that goal, I raced at the highest amateur level, spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, competed in several national championship races, and qualified for and competed in the 1992 Olympic trials for road racing.

My college career started at the age of 25 after I decided that I wanted to become a high school teacher. I attended Cuesta College for a few years, then transferred to Cal Poly, where I received a B.A. in Political Science in 1998. However, before I could start a teacher certification program I was convinced by my undergraduate advisor, Jeff Gill, that I should study education policy instead of practicing it.

In 1999, I moved to Texas to study in the political science department at Texas A&M. There, I studied public policy, public administration, American politics, and methods. I also traded in the cycling cleats for soccer cleats. While at A&M, I developed my research skills studying different aspects of education policy, as well as working on projects looking into the relationship between state and federal budgets. I also worked as a research associate, then research director for the Texas Educational Excellence Project. As director, I oversaw and wrote several studies on race and education and the Latino dropout problem.

In 2004, I took a position at the University of Kansas teaching public policy, policy analysis, race and public policy, American Political institutions, and research methods.

In 2006, I came home. I now teach courses in the same classrooms where I earned my undergraduate degree. I also renewed my racing license after 12 years. While I no longer have the time to ride 400 miles a week, I have found that I can still be competitive on the bicycle, and that I am much better at cycling than I am at playing soccer. In addition to satisfying my competitive urges, I am helping to develop the skills of the Cal Poly Wheelman as the club's faculty advisor.

Recent publications include:

"Political Responsiveness and Equity in Public Education Finance." 2003. Journal of Politics 65(3): 718-738, with B. Dan Wood.

"Fiscal Federalism and Budgetary Tradeoffs in the American States" 2006, Political Research Quarterly. 2006 59(2):313-321 with Sean Nicholson-Crotty and B. Dan Wood.

"Disparate Measures: Public Managers and the Use of Multiple Performance Measures." 2006. Public Administration Review. 66(1): 101-113 Sean Nicholson-Crotty and Jill Nicholson-Crotty

The Many Faces of Span of Control: Organizational Structire Across Multiple Goals." 2005. Administration and Society. 36(6): 648-660, with Sean Nicholson-Crotty.

"¡Muéstreme el Dinero!: Assessing the Linkage Between Hispanic School Superintendents and Bilingual Program Resources." 2007. In Latino Politics: Identity, Mobilization, and Representation, edited by Rodolfo Espino, David Leal and Kenneth J. Meier. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press.: 470-499.

I am currently working on a couple of studies looking at the effect of race on citizen evaluation of police actions. One study, with Don Haider-Markel at the University of Kansas, finds that that race of the police officer affects citizen perception of legitimacy. The other study, with Don Haider-Markel and Amber Tierney, a recent graduate of our MPP program, finds that citizens, regardless of race, are more likely to feel that police behave improperly when they interact with Black drivers.

I am also working on a study on federalism with Sean Nicholson-Crotty at the University of Missouri and current MPP student, Rob Fitzroy. This paper looks at how state actors respond to public demand for policies where there is both state and federal involvement.

And finally, I'm working with MPP student Erich Farag on a survey assessing behaviors of DUI offenders in San Luis Obispo County. The results of this survey will be used by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Services to prevent drunk driving incidences and lower recidivism rates.