Chris Haynes, Ph.D.

Chris Haynes
Associate Professor

International Affairs, National Security, and Political Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences
Education

B.S. in Political Science, Texas Christian University
MBA with emphasis in Finance, Texas Christian University
M.A. in Political Science, University of California, Riverside
Ph.D. in Political Science, University of California, Riverside

About Chris

Chris Haynes is an expert on immigration, political framing, presidential elections, race and ethnicity, and the impact the changing media landscape is having on politics and public opinion. Dr. Haynes is the co-author of the book Framing Immigrants News Coverage, Public Opinion, and Policy.

Dr. Haynes found that when discussion of immigration centered on children, there was public support for legalization measures. When people were exposed to language that discussed amnesty for the families of those children or when immigrants were portrayed as law-breakers seeking amnesty, the support for policy changes or legalization efforts lessened.

Among the first to examine the Twitter presidency, Dr. Haynes co-authored "The Twitter Effect: How Trump Used Social Media to Stamp His Brand and Shape the Media Narrative on Immigration," which was published in the book Unconventional, Partisan, and Polarizing Rhetoric: How the 2016 Election Shaped the Way Candidates Strategize, Engage, and Communicate.

Dr. Haynes is also studying sanctuary cities to determine if information about their relative crime rates impacts public opinion about sanctuary cities.

Dr. Haynes has spoken about immigration issues and presidential elections on WTNH-TV, Bloomberg News, CNBC, BBC Radio, WFSB-TV, WTIC-AM, and Al-Jazeera, and he’s co-authored op-ed pieces in The Washington Post and New 51 Register.

His peer-reviewed publications include "Vying for Conservative Hearts and Minds: Changes in Media Frames on Immigration since 2000" in Faceless Latino/a Immigrants: Pathways to Resistance and "`Illegal,’ ‘Undocumented,’ or ‘Unauthorized’: Who Uses Them, and Do They Matter?" in Perspectives on Politics.

A former Visiting Fellow at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies, UC-San Diego, Dr. Haynes earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside. His National Science Foundation-funded dissertation examined the effects of empathy on immigration policy preferences.

Dr. Haynes is the founder and director of the University’s Model United Nations program, which has been recognized at international conferences, and he spearheaded the creation of the University’s Mayor’s Advisory Commission. His students regularly conduct exit polling on Election Day.

Publications

Chaturvedi, Neil and Chris Haynes. 2020. “Strategic position taking: optimal strategy for Senate candidates in the Obama era.” The Journal of Legislative Studies.

Alamillo, Rudy, Chris Haynes, and Raul Madrid, Jr. 2019. "Immigration Frames and the Presidency: How the President Shapes Immigration Policy through Framing." Sociology Compass.

Chaturvedi, Neil and Chris Haynes. 2019. "Is Loyalty a Powerful Thing? Republican Senate Campaign Strategy and Trump Coattails in the 2016 Election." Presidential Studies Quarterly.

Haynes, Chris, Jennifer Merolla, and Karthick Ramakrishnan. 2016. Framing Immigrants: News Coverage, Public Opinion, and Policy. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

Haynes, Chris, and Karthick Ramakrishnan. 2016. "How Much Do They Help? Ethnic Media and Political Knowledge in the United States." In Just Ordinary Citizens: Toward a Comparative Portrait of the Political Immigrant, ed. Antoine Bilodeau. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 113-139.

Haynes, Chris. 2014. "Vying for Conservative Hearts and Minds: Changes in Media Frames on Immigration since 2000." In Faceless Latino/a Immigrants: Pathways to Resistance, ed. Victoria Carty, Rafael Luevano, and Tekle Woldemikael. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. 69-92.

Merolla, Jennifer, Karthick Ramakrishnan, and Chris Haynes. 2013. "Illegal," ‘Undocumented,’ or ‘Unauthorized’: Who Uses Them, and Do They Matter?" Perspectives on Politics 11 (3) (September): 789–807.

Select Current Publication Projects

Journal article project with Neilan Chaturvedi examining the effect of candidate loyalty, disloyalty, and ambiguity with their party’s standard bearer on their electoral chances using a series of national survey-experimental data.

Journal article projects with a variety of co-authors focusing on healthcare policy framing, immigration policy framing, and Trump’s political rhetoric.

Textbook project with Kevin Grisham, Cale Crammer, Eric Cox, Michiko Kuroda, and Joseph Scollo on Skills-based approach to teaching Model United Nations.

Courses Taught
  • American Politics and Government
  • International Relations
  • Model United Nations
  • Politics of International Migration
  • The Politics of Race, Immigration, and Islam
  • The Politics of US Immigration
  • Constitutional Law
  • The Politics of Race & Ethnicity
  • Quantitative Research Methods
  • Media & Politics
  • Politics & Economic Policy
  • Comparative Political Change
  • Public Opinion
  • Political Psychology
  • Voting Behavior
  • The Congress
High-Impact Practices
  • Model United Nations
  • Faculty-Led Study Abroad Experiences: France, Switzerland, Netherlands, and Japan-Korea
  • Mayor's Advisory Commission (City of West 51)
  • Washington Internship Institute
  • Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
  • Elections and the Public Will Election Exit Polling

News and In the Media

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, comments on what he termed 'episodic branding,' which may prompt some moderate voters to reassess who they want to support.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, discusses early in-person voting for the 2024 election season, as there are just over 40 days left to campaign season.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, an associate professor of political science, discusses tonight’s expectations for the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of international affairs, national security, and political science, comments on the significance of the location in Russia that Ukraine invaded, which was not by chance.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, an associate professor of international affairs and political science, and Robert Sanders, a distinguished lecturer of national security, comment on the arrival of the first American-made F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets in Ukraine.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, international affairs, and national security, comments that the illegal crossings at the border will create challenges for President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and be a strong point for Republicans.

In the Media

The University of New 51’s Mayor’s Advisory Commission hosted a debate for the West 51 Mayoral candidates Dorinda Borer and Barry Lee Cohen. The debate was moderated by Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, and Candice Deal, associate professor of accounting and interim associate dean of the Pompea College of Business.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, comments on the role of independent voters as the 2024 presidential election nears and candidates are chosen.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on Elon Musk monetizing Twitter by having users pay for verification.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, Ph.D., and Tricia Crouse, Ph.D., of political science and legal studies, comment on how former President Donald Trump's base of supporters may react to his indictment, explaining that they may give him their full support while other Republican voters could be weary of these allegations. Haynes is an associate professor, and Crouse is a practitioner in residence.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, says political opponents of Pete Buttigieg could use his handling of multiple negative transportation issues as Secretary of Transportation against him should he decide to run for a higher office, citing his inexperience.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, says that riding the political wave of criticism goes back to how Republicans and Democrats responded to the MeToo movement.

In the Media

Trish Crouse, a practitioner in residence, and Chris Haynes, associate professor, both in political science and legal studies, comment on classified documents found in the garage of President Joe Biden and how this may impact his announcement of running in the next presidential election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, was quoted in a recap of Connecticut's best political stories for 2022.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, discusses the midterm election results and the accuracy of polls.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and adviser for the University of New 51's Mayor's Advisory Commission, will sponsor a Facebook live town hall meeting on November 29 at 6 pm with West 51 Mayor Nancy Rossi.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about the midterm elections as voting is underway.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, discusses how former President Trump changed how politicians behave toward each other.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about the midterm elections and public opinion polls.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about the midterm elections as voting is underway.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, talks about the upcoming release of the affidavit used to get a search warrant for former President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, discusses President Biden's approval rating drop, which started with the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, international affairs, legal studies, and national security, says the FBI executing a search warrant on former President Trump's home has reenergized his base.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, international affairs, legal studies, and national security, believes that the FBI executing a search warrant on former President Trump may have solidified his decision to run for the presidency again in 2024.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks about the Jan. 6 Committee hearing and the importance of publicizing the evidence.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, and national security, comments on the Connecticut Secretary of the State hiring a disinformation officer for the election season to monitor content on social media and websites.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, international affairs, and legal studies, talks about the primary election results in some key states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina and what this could mean for the midterms in November.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, discusses the nefarious ways social media has changed the face of politics.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, along with the University of New 51’s Mayor’s advisory council, hosted a town hall meeting in West 51 last night.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, and national security, comments on what he believes is a fundamental misunderstanding about high school education.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks about how elected officials are implementing tax relief measures and examines whether it makes a difference in the mid-term elections.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political sciences, national security, international affairs, and legal studies, says that President Zelensky's commitment to the people of Ukraine has sent a powerful message to the world on all media platforms.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, explains that it might symbolically be a good move for President Biden to ban Russian oil, saying his administration hasn’t always taken a leadership role.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, and national security, says two wrongs don't make a right in explaining why a U.S. senator calling for an assignation of Vladimir Putin could serve to escalate an already bad situation for the people of Ukraine.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, and legal studies, talks about why Russia is threatening to invade Ukraine.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, and international affairs, explains why Connecticut’s governor was wise not to over promise on reducing taxes or expanding the state's property tax credit.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, and legal studies, comments that an incoming SCOTUS justice should have experience being able to build a consensus.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies, political science, national security, and international affairs, and members of the University of New 51 Mayor's Advisory Commission presented a check for $2,000 to the West 51 Emergency Assistance Taskforce.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comments on several factors that have contributed to an uptick in new residents moving to Connecticut.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies and international affairs, says the public is not watching the news on Omicron as much as the Delta variant and attributes some of this to pandemic fatigue.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, and national security, and international affairs, talks about the reasons for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visit and promote the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security and international affairs, comments on the possibility of a rematch between Clinton and Trump in 2024 for president.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, says higher inflation erodes the public's confidence in the Biden administration.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, says there are benefits to having in-person city council meetings. Still, online meetings allow more people to attend.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies, criminal justice, international affairs, and national security, and his students on the Mayor's Advisory Commission helped raise money for WHEAT, a food pantry in West 51.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies, political science, national security, and international affairs, comments on Boebert and Omar's rhetoric being a distraction to the congressional work that needs to be done.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comments on the recent gaffe by President Biden and those crossing the lines of civility with hash tags.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks about the passing of the infrastructure bill and what it took to get this done.

In the Media

Susan Campbell, distinguished lecturer of communications, film, and media studies, and Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, comment on the rise of personal attacks and threats on social media platforms.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks about the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, talks about China’s hypersonic missile tests and what this means for U.S. security.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks to Ayman Mohyeldin about the filibuster, the history of using it, and not meant be used to stonewall a bill.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of national security, political science, legal studies and international affairs and Matthew Schmidt, associate professor of national security, political science and international affairs, comment on the claims that a video about space exploration with school children and Vice President Kamala Harris may have been staged with child actors.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, discusses social media companies that may require additional government regulations as a whistle-blower speaks to congress.

In the Media

Brian Marks, senior lecturer and executive director of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, and Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comment on businesses preparing for the COVID-19 vaccine mandate ahead of the OSHA rule.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, comments on how uncivil political rallies have become and how social media amplifies it.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, comments on how social media impacts politics and polarizes society.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, moderated the mayoral debate in West 51 along with the University of New 51's Mayor's Advisory Commission.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comments on how Republicans may use conservatism values in the mid-term elections to gain back seats in the senate.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of national security, legal studies, political science, and international affairs, talks about resettling Afghan refugees in the United States.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comments on the mixed message the public is getting in allowing the Taliban to have social media channels.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies, and international affairs, talks about the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and how it may impact Connecticut democrats.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, talks about the local reactions to the resignation of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security, and international affairs, comments on social media platforms and the spread of misinformation.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies and international affairs, discusses the $2 trillion plan for rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructures.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies and international affairs, discusses the United States and Germany’s deal on the Russian gas pipeline.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies and international affairs, comments on when the Republican Revolution started and those who lost faith in the government.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security, legal studies and international affairs, talks about the Olympics going forward and the political fallout from public health issues.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, legal studies, national security and international affairs, says that comments on social media are continuing to polarize political parties.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security and international affairs, comments that the continuation of rising gas prices will have a political impact for the next election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security and international affairs, comments on new members of the SCOTUS taking up the case and changing the law.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of international affairs, national security and political science, Doug Whiting, university spokesperson and associate vice president of Marketing & Public Relations, and Ron Quagliani, associate vice president of public safety, comment on the relationship between the City of West 51 and the University of New 51.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of international affairs, national security and political science, comments on why people in rural cities may not be able to relate to experiences in urban communities.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of national security and political science, comments on the Republican candidates who may run for president in 2024.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and national security, comments on why the Trump rallies are resuming.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security and legal studies, comments that the decision to continue to ban the former President is a reflection on how polarized our society has become.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about President Biden’s address to Congress and the rebuttal from the Republican party.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science, national security and legal studies, comments on the use of the filibuster in the Senate with unified Republicans.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, talks about the Biden administration’s immigration reform bill.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments that the term ‘illegal alien’ is dehumanizing, even though the wording is found in the Immigration and Nationality Act.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of national security and legal studies, talks about the polarized nature of the political parties in America.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments on the political polarization on social media outlets.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments that even though the outcome may be determined, it is important for Americans to judge what happened.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments that social media platforms have played a part in vaccine misinformation.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments on how the impeachment trial may end.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments that the Senate doesn’t have the votes to convict Trump, but that doesn’t mean the trial isn’t worth having.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on what an impeachment means for Trump the second time.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on how Trump transformed the Republican Party.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about people hoping for change and unity in the new presidential administration.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about the article of impeachment and the 25th Amendment.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on the Republican Party’s reaction to last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, wrote an opinion piece saying that aligning with Trump may have cost Republicans two senate seats in the Georgia race.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on the events that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on invoking the 25th Amendment after the riots at the U.S. Capitol.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about race being a factor in why police were not prepared to deal with the riot at the Capitol.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on how local governments are being stretched to handle the communications about and coordination of the vaccine.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on a Trump run for president in 2024.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments that some of the election lawsuits may have merit, but will not change the outcome.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks to Al Jazeera News about the election law suits and the transition of power.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks to Al Jazeera News about the issues arising from President Trump’s refusal to concede the election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments that the election challenge could pose a problem for the fight against coronavirus.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, will participate in a virtual town hall meeting with Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, hosted by University of New 51 political science students.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about history being made as Kamala Harris is set to become the first woman vice president.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, talks about the wounds from this political election and how they can be healed.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on the polls, mail-in, and in-person votes in the presidential election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on the challenges pollsters are facing.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, talks about the increase in voters in both the local and national elections.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on how the third party candidates in the presidential race have had an impact on the outcome.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, talks about the ‘fly’, the President not attending the next debate and undecided voters.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments on owning a business during a run for the presidency.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on third party candidates running in the presidential election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of legal studies and political science, comments on the Republican political strategy for this year’s presidential election.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science and legal studies, comments that the only exception in viewership was when First Lady Melania Trump delivered her speech.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor of political science and legal studies, comments on the multifaceted issues in the upcoming presidential race.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, professor of political science, discusses the next steps of the impeachment process.

In the Media

In an op-ed he co-authored, Chris Haynes, associate professor and coordinator of political science, discusses research into the public’s reaction to recent changes to California’s auto emission standards.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, associate professor and coordinator of political science, discusses mayoral elections throughout Connecticut.

In the Media

West 51 Mayor Nancy R. Rossi and her staff invite residents to participate in a town hall meeting, sponsored by the mayor’s office and the University of New 51 Mayor’s Advisory Commission. The commission is led by Marcin Stankevich, a junior political science major, and Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science.

In the Media

Chris Haynes, an assistant professor of political science, shares his thoughts on the results of the Connecticut primary.

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, comments on what is expected of President Trump during his first State of the Union Address.

Chris Haynes, assistance professor of political science, comments on what to expect from President Trump’s first State of the Union Address and how it could influence Connecticut residents.

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, discusses the expectations for the president’s first State of the Union Address and the reactions each political party may have following the speech.

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, comments on the Bridgeport man who kidnapped his daughter after murdering the girl’s mother.

Chris Haynes, assistant professor of political science, comments on Trump’s bully tactics as a defense strategy in office.