Steven Moore is an Assistant Professor of Government at Wesleyan University. He received a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2020. He was born and raised Columbia, SC and received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Carolina in 2014. He is interested broadly in racial and ethnic politics, political behavior, media, and political psychology. More specifically, he's interested in the organization of racial attitudes in the mass public and how they shape and are shaped by various political phenomenon. His dissertation examines the relationship between race and paternalism in the mass public. Findings suggest that many Whites exhibit a racialized paternalism: though they do not harbor animosity toward out-groups, they still endorse discrimination against these groups.  Experimental evidence confirms that those highest in this disposition are more likely to support a takeover of a black local school board than a white local school board, endorsing clear discrimination. He is also keenly interested in how other racial attitudes shape political engagement and support for policy and the way that media depictions of African Americans can alter this relationship.