Carson Goh '25 Wins the McWilliams Best Undergraduate Paper Prize from the New England Political Science Association

The New England Political Science Association recently awarded Carson Goh '25 the Wilson Carey McWilliams Prize for Best Undergraduate Paper for his work "Competition or Representation? How the Public Views Substantive and Descriptive Effects of Independent Redistricting Commissions." The McWilliams Prize honors the memory of Professor Wilson McWilliams and is awarded to the best undergraduate paper at the New England Political Science Conference. Carson, a double major in Government and Quantitative Social Science, presented his paper in April 2024 at the conference in Newport, Rhode Island. In his research, Carson examines public support for Independent Redistricting Commissions. His paper investigates whether the public prefers more competitive elections or minority representation through majority-minority districts and finds that support for IRCs decreases when they are framed as a threat to majority-minority districts. 

Professor Jason Barabas '93 acted as a mentor for Carson's research while teaching a course on Advanced Policy Research in Winter 2024. Carson also credits Professor Julie Kalish's class on the Supreme Court with shaping his interests in redistricting and the law. Carson is grateful for the support of the Stamps Scholars Program and the Rockefeller Center for making his research endeavors possible.