John Anthony
"Jack" Kappelman

I am a PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science at UCLA, where I study American Politics and Methodology. My research examines how citizens respond to political signals—particularly elections that signal sharp policy swings—and how political and institutional contexts shape behavior, markets, and policy implementation.

 

In much of my work, I focus on the politics of firearm ownership and gun violence, investigating how partisan control over state and local governments influences enforcement patterns, firearm purchasing behavior, and the effects of mass shootings on legislative action.

 

At UCLA, I am a member of the PHACT Lab and the Practical Causal Inference Lab, and an affiliate with the California Center for Population Research.