Adam McMahon

Adam McMahon is an Assistant Professor of Political Science. His research interests include the American presidency and Congress, national security, and American political development. He received his Ph.D. from The Graduate Center, City University of New York.

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Experience

• RIDER UNIVERSITY 
  Assistant Professor: September 2018
  Department of Government, Politics and Law
  Teaching: Homeland Security, Presidency and the National Security State, American Presidency, Congress and the National Security State, Defense Policy and Analysis.
• HUNTER COLLEGE
  Lecturer: 2012-2018
  Teaching: Introduction to American Government, The American Presidency, Congress, Presidency in Crisis, Research Design in Political Science.

Educational Background

• THE GRADUATE CENTER, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
  Ph.D. in Political Science
• PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
  M.S. Political Science
• BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY
  B.A. Political Science & Spanish

Publications

• “Obama, Operation Neptune Spear, and the Specter of Failure,” Congress & the Presidency 51, no. 3 (2024), 302-323.
• “Identifying QAnon Conspiracy Theory Adherent Types,” with Colton R. Westmark in New Political Science ;44, no. 4 (2022), 607-627.
• “To the Moon and Back: Reexamining Presidential Decision-Making and the Apollo Program,” Space Policy 62 (November 2022), 1-10.
• “Layering and the Foundations of the Modern American Surveillance State, 1970-2020.” Intelligence and National Security (April 28, 2020): 1–17.
• “Unchained Succubus: A Queer New Institutional Analysis of U.S. Supreme Court Nomination Hearings,” Politics & Gender 13, no. 4. December 2017, p. 683-709.
• “Peace Dividends: President Eisenhower and the Unbuilding of the American National Security State” with Andrew J. Polsky in The Eisenhower Presidency: Lessons for the Twenty-First Century. 2015. Lexington Books.

Conferences

• “Aggrandizing Presidential Power and the U.S. Capitol Insurrection,” Northeastern Political Science Association Annual Conference, November 14-16, 2024. 
  Boston, Massachusetts 
• “Aggrandizing Presidential Power and the U.S. Capitol Insurrection,” American Political Science Association Annual Conference, September 5-8, 2024. 
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
• “‘Do Us A Favor Though’: Presidential Impeachment and the Expansive Unitary Executive,” Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference, April 4-7, 2024.
  Chicago, Illinois
• “Fabricated ‘Off Ramps’ & the Role of Misinformation in President-Led Wars,”
  American Political Science Association Annual Conference, August 31-September 3, 2023.
  Los Angeles, California
• “Obama, Operation Neptune Spear, and the Specter of Failure,”
   The Barack Obama Presidency: Hope and Change, Hofstra University, April 19-21, 2023.
  Hempstead, New York
• Colton R. Westmark and Adam M. McMahon, “QAnon IRL,”
  QAnon Research Conference, March 9-10th, 2023.
  Virtual via Zoom
• “’I Will Not Pass This Responsibility’: Biden & the Withdrawal from Afghanistan,”
  American Political Science Association Annual Conference, September 15-18, 2022.
  Montreal, Quebec, Canada
• “Curbing Executive Power: Reagan, Trump, & Foreign Policy Scandals,”
  Evaluating the Presidency in the 21st Century, APSA Presidents and Executive Politics Micro-Conference, hosted by Chapman University and the Nixon Foundation, February 17-18, 2021
  Yorba Linda, California (held virtually due to pandemic)
• “Ensnaring Team Trump: The Banking Secrecy Act of 1970 and Congressional Intent” Northeastern Political Science Association 50th Annual Meeting, November 8-10, 2018. Montreal, Quebec
• “JFK, George W., & Men on the Moon” Northeastern Political Science Association 49th Annual Meeting, November 9-11, 2017. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• “The National Security State at Détente’s End: Lessons from the Vietnam War” American Political Science Association Annual Conference, September 1-4, 2016. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• “Barack Obama and the Unbuilding of the American National Security State” The Barack Obama Presidency: Legacy and Record Conference, University of Mount Union, March 10-11, 2016. Alliance, Ohio
• “In Search of a Peace Dividend: Cutting U.S. Defense Spending After the Cold War” Northeastern Political Science Association 47th Annual Meeting, November 12-14, 2015. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Selected Awards

• Ivo Duchacek Award (for best article published in a peer reviewed journal)
  The Graduate Center, CUNY, Spring 2018
• Presidency Research Fund Grant
  APSA Centennial Center for Political Science and Public Affairs, Spring 2016

Professional Memberships

• American Political Science Association
• Northeastern Political Science Association