Much of his research examines how politics affects the policymaking authority, design, and operation of public agencies. He is particularly interested in how politics affects the development and implementation of education policies, as well as the outcomes these policies generate. He founded the Education Governance and Accountability Project (EGAP) with colleagues in the OSU Department of Political Science in order to examine how politics affects the administration of K-12 public schools and student educational outcomes. He also has conducted a number of studies evaluating the impact of educational interventions on student learning. For example, he has coauthored studies estimating the impact of U.S. charter schools, school closure, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs on student academic achievement.