Matthew Wright earned his BA in political science and history from McGill University, and his PhD in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. Prior to joining UBC’s Department of Political Science, he was an Associate Professor of Government at American University in Washington, DC.

He studies political psychology, typically through an empirical and comparative lens. He wants to understand where peoples’ political identities and core values come from, and how they go on to influence attitudes about immigrants, immigration policy, and diversity.

His work on these topics and others has appeared in Comparative Political Studies, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Political Research Quarterly, Election Law Journal, the Journal of European Public Policy, Psychological Science, Political Studies, International Migration Review, Political Psychology, and Perspectives on Politics among others.

He co-authored Immigration and the American Ethos with Morris Levy, published by Cambridge University Press. In 2012, his article, “Is There a Tradeoff Between Multiculturalism and Immigration?” Perspectives on Politics, (10:1), 77-95, was awarded Best Article by the APSA Migration and Citizenship Section.

Wright joined the American University’s Department of Government in July, 2011, after spending one year as a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.