Department Chair Associate Professor of Political Science
Dr. Carman joined the SUNY Plattsburgh Department of Political Science in Fall 2014.
Previously, from Fall 2010 to Spring 2014, he was a Visiting Instructor of Political
Science at Lycoming College in Williamsport, Pa. Dr. Carman earned his Ph.D. from
Binghamton University. His teaching and research interests include the constitution,
courts, judges, and the law.
Dr. Carman’s book, Making Good Law or Good Policy?: The Causes and Effects of State Supreme Court Judges’
Role Orientations, draws from political science and social psychology in order to examine the effect
that judicial role orientations — or judges’ beliefs about what should properly be
allowed to influence their decisions — has on judicial decision-making. Data for the
project, in part, comes from a nationwide survey of the entire population of state
supreme court judges.
Since Fall 2017, Dr. Carman has served as a member of the SUNY Plattsburgh Faculty
Senate’s Executive Committee — from 2017 – 2020 as secretary of the Faculty Senate,
from 2020 – 2021 as an additional member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee,
and since 2021 as chair of the Faculty Senate. He represented the political science
department in the Faculty Senate from 2015 – 2021. Dr. Carman served on the General
Education Committee from 2015 – 2021. During this time, he assisted with creating
SUNY Plattsburgh’s new general education program, the Cardinal Core Curriculum; passing
the program through the Faculty Senate; and implementing the program. Dr. Carman has
served as chair or member of numerous committees, councils, steering committees, task
forces, and working groups.
Making Good Law or Good Policy?: The Causes and Effects of State Supreme Court Judges’
Role Orientations (Springer, 2017).
“Yes… Yes… All Your ‘Rights’ As Defined By the Cardassian Articles of Jurisprudence
Will Be Protected: Civil Liberties in Star Trek Deep Space Nine” in Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science through Science Fiction (Routledge, 2016).
“Diversity on the Federal Courts” at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Social Justice Teach-In, November
7, 2022.
“Annual Supreme Court Review, 2021–22 Term Edition: Religion, Guns, and Abortion”
at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Alumni Association, August 2, 2022.
“Drunk on Power? The Supreme Court’s ‘Shadow Docket” at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Critical
Issues Forum, September 27, 2021.
“Diversity on the Federal Courts” at the League of Women Voters of the North Country
Forum, June 16, 2021.
“License to Discriminate? Title VII, Sexual Orientation, and Gender Identity” for
SUNY Plattsburgh’s Alumni Association, May 14, 2020.
“Investigations of the Trump Presidency: An Impending Constitutional Crisis?” at SUNY
Plattsburgh Critical Issues Forum, November 18, 2019.
“Diversity on the Federal Courts” at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Social Justice Teach-In, February
27, 2019.
“The New Justice on the Bloc: Acclimation Effects Revisited” at the Annual Meeting
of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 5 – 8, 2018.
“Diversity on the Federal Courts” at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Diversity Week, February 27,
2017.
“Equality Through Marriage” at Lycoming College, April 6, 2016.
“State High Court Judges as Role Occupants: The Effects of Role Orientation on Judicial
Behavior” at the Annual Meeting of the New York State Political Science Association,
April 10 – 11, 2015.
“Court of Last Resort Judges as Role Occupants: Exploring Judicial Role Orientations
and Their Determinants” at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association,
April 11 – 14, 2013.
“Court of Last Resort Judges as Role Occupants: Determining the Causes of Role Orientation”
at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 12 – 15,
2012.
“The Acclimation Effect Revisited” at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political
Science Association, April 3 – 6, 2008.
“The New Dissent: An Analysis of State Court LGBT Decisions” (with Peter Joseph Baxter)
at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, April 3 – 6, 2008.
“Parties as Mobilizers: Party Efforts to Get Out the Vote in 2000 and 2004” (with
Ian M. Farrell, and Jonathan Krasno) at the Annual Meeting of the Midwest Political
Science Association, April 3 – 6, 2008.
“Voting Variability: Temporary and Regular Newcomers on the U.S. Courts of Appeals”
(with Paul M. Collins, Jr., and Wendy L. Martinek) at the Annual Meeting of the Southern
Political Science Association, January 9 – 12, 2008.