Alex Keena, Ph.D.
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Scholarship Archive

Books, peer-reviewed articles, and law review publications, organized by research theme. For public-facing writing and media appearances, see the public commentary archive. See my full CV (PDF) here.

Redistricting & Representation

How district lines are drawn, by whom, and with what consequences for representation.

Book
Gerrymandering the States: Partisanship, Race, and the Transformation of American Federalism
Keena, A., M. Latner, A.J. McGann, and C.A. Smith. Cambridge University Press, 2021.
GerrymanderingPolitical PartiesUS CongressElectoral Reforms
Book
Gerrymandering in America: The House of Representatives, the Supreme Court, and the Future of Popular Sovereignty
McGann, A.J., C.A. Smith, M. Latner, and Keena, A. Cambridge University Press, 2016.
GerrymanderingUS CongressElection Law
Peer-Reviewed
Common Forms of Gerrymandering in the United States
Keena, A., M. Latner, A.J. McGann, and C.A. Smith. Decyzje (Decisions), 2019.
GerrymanderingElection Law
Peer-Reviewed
A Discernable and Manageable Standard for Partisan Gerrymandering
McGann, A.J., C.A. Smith, M. Latner, and J.A. Keena. Election Law Journal 14(4): 295–311, 2015.
GerrymanderingElection Law
Law Review
2021 Redistricting in Virginia: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Reforms
Keena, A. Richmond Public Interest Law Review 26(1): 86–110, 2023.
GerrymanderingElection LawVirginia PoliticsElectoral Reforms
Book Chapter
"Gill v. Whitford" on Partisan Gerrymandering
Keena, A., M. Latner, A.J. McGann, and C.A. Smith. In SCOTUS 2018: Major Decisions and Developments of the Supreme Court, D. Klein and M. Marietta, eds. Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
GerrymanderingElection Law
Commentary
Will gerrymandering cost Virginia Republicans in the House of Delegates?
Keena, A. and E. Fullmer. Virginia Capitol Connections 25(1): 25, 2019.
GerrymanderingVirginia PoliticsPolitical Parties

Money, Campaigns, and Legislative Behavior

How money and campaigns affect representation and responsiveness.

Peer-Reviewed
Out-of-State Donors and Legislative Surrogacy in the U.S. Senate
Keena, A. Political Research Quarterly 77(3): 880–890, 2024.
Campaign FinanceUS CongressPolitical PartiesLegislative Behavior
Peer-Reviewed
Are Businesspeople Better Legislators? Evidence from the US Senate (1983–2021)
Keena, A. and M. Knight-Finley. Congress and the Presidency 52(2): 162–182, 2025.
Legislative BehaviorUS Congress
Peer-Reviewed
Ask and You Shall Receive: The Effects of Negativity and Fundraising Appeals on Facebook
Wintersieck, A. and Keena, A. Political Research Quarterly 76(4): 1973–1986, 2023.
Campaign Finance
Peer-Reviewed
The Fundraising Effects of Facebook Marketing During the 2020 Election
Keena, A. and A. Wintersieck. Journal of Marketing Development & Competitiveness 16(4), 2022.
Campaign Finance
Peer-Reviewed
Are Small Donors Polarizing? A Longitudinal Study of the Senate
Keena, A. and M. Knight-Finley. Election Law Journal 18(2): 132–144, 2019.
Campaign FinancePolitical PartiesLegislative BehaviorElection LawElectoral Reforms
Peer-Reviewed
Governed by Experience: Political Careers and Party Loyalty in the Senate
Keena, A. and M. Knight-Finley. Congress & the Presidency 45(1): 20–40, 2018.
Legislative BehaviorPolitical Parties
Book Review
Review of Rejecting Compromise: Legislators' Fear of Primary Voters, by S.E. Anderson, D.M. Butler, and L. Harbridge-Yong
Keena, A. Political Science Quarterly, 2021.
Political PartiesLegislative Behavior
Book Review
Review of Plutocrats United: Campaign Money, the Supreme Court and the Distortion of American Elections, by Rick Hasen
Keena, A. Law and Politics Book Review 27(2): 39–41, 2017.
Campaign FinanceElection Law

Polities, Electoral Systems, and Reforms

How the design of electoral institutions shape outcomes in democracy.

Dissertation
The Electoral Consequences of Size in American Politics
Keena, A. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of California, Irvine, 2016. Committee: C.A. Smith, A.J. McGann, R. Taagepera, and M. Kaminski.
Constituency SizeElectoral ReformsUS CongressCampaign Finance
Peer-Reviewed
Mixed-Member Proportional Representation and the U.S. House of Representatives
Keena, A., O. Pocasangre, and N. Romero Moskala. Political Research Quarterly, 2026.
Electoral ReformsConstituency SizeMixed-Member SystemsUS CongressGerrymanderingPolitical Parties
Peer-Reviewed
Constituency Size and Turnout in Mixed Electoral Systems
Keena, A. Public Choice 204: 169–180, 2025.
Constituency SizeElectoral ReformsMixed-Member Systems
Peer-Reviewed
Who Needs the Wealthy? The Effects of Size Scaling on Money in Senate Elections
Keena, A. Congress & the Presidency 46(2): 235–252, 2019.
Constituency SizeCampaign Finance
Book Review
Review of Electing the House: The Adoption and Performance of the U.S. Single-Member District Electoral System, by Jay K. Dow
Keena, A. Political Science Quarterly 133(4): 767–769, 2018.
Electoral ReformsElection LawUS Congress