Morgan Lowder, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, American Politics and Public Administration
- lowderm@etsu.edu
- 301B Rogers-Stout Hall
Dr. Lowder received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of South Carolina, after which he joined the faculty at ETSU as an Assistant Professor where he teaches courses in Public Administration and American Politics. His current research focuses on the American welfare state, with special attention to how race and class dynamics and discourses shape welfare policy design. He has published his work in journals such as the Journal of Public Policy and Social Science Quarterly. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Lowder received his master's degree in public administration (MPA) from American University and worked as an environmental health manager in South Carolina's Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Education
Ph.D., Political Science, University of South Carolina
Master's of Public Administration, American University
B.A., Political Science, University of South Carolina
Teaching Interests
Dr. Lowder teaches courses in American Politics and Public Administration, including but not limited to, Introduction to Public Administration, Economic Planning and Development, and Congress and the Legislative Process.
Research Interests
Dr. Lowder's research is centered on U.S. institutions and social welfare policy, with a focus on the social consequences of conditioning welfare benefits on labor market participation. The ways in which work-conditioned welfare policy, or workfare, generates benefits to employers represent the current focus of his research.
Publications
Lowder, M.A. (2025), Culture Regions and Policy Attitudes: Evaluating Welfare Spending Preferences Across Tennessee’s Grand Divisions. Social Science Quarterly, 106: e70045. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.70045
Lowder, Morgan A., Anthony Hobert, and Kelsey Shoub. 2023. “Institutional Legacies and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Spending Decisions: The Case of the Freedmen’s Bureau.” Journal of Public Policy 43(3): 578–600. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0143814X23000168
Woods, N. D., Kang, K., and Lowder, M.. 2022. “ Do green policies produce green jobs?.” Social Science Quarterly 00: 1– 15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.13233