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Man with dark brown glasses and blue sports coat stands outside in front of an academic building. Blue sky peppered with white clouds in the background.

Dr. Raymond Carman


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.

  • Education
    • Ph.D. in Political Science, Binghamton University
    • M.A. in Political Science, Binghamton University
    • B.A. in Political Science, Niagara University
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