Rate My Professor Mark Richards

Mark Richards is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at Grand Valley State University. He holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.S. in Political Science from the University of Oregon, completed one year of study at the University of Wisconsin Law School, and earned a B.S. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout his career at Grand Valley State University, Richards has held leadership positions including Chair of the Political Science Department, Interim Chair of the Human Rights program, and pre-law advisor for students. His fields of expertise encompass constitutional law, freedom of expression, and judicial politics, with current research interests focused on freedom of expression in international law, human rights, comparative law and judicial politics, and the environmental politics of the automotive industry.

Richards has made significant contributions to political science scholarship through his publications in prominent journals. His book, The Politics of Freedom of Expression: The Decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013), examines key Supreme Court rulings. Select peer-reviewed articles include “Freedom of Expression” in Oxford Bibliographies in International Law (Oxford University Press, 2023, revised edition); “Do the media have special rights?” in The U.S. Constitution in 5 Minutes (Equinox, 2023); “The Diffusion of the Concept of Public Figure in China” with Yi Zhao (Law & Society Review, 2019); “Regulating Automakers for Climate Change: US Reforms in Global Context” (Environmental Policy and Governance, 2016); and “Jurisprudential Regimes in Supreme Court Decision Making” with Herbert M. Kritzer (American Political Science Review, 2002). Additional works appear in the Journal of Politics (2010), Law & Policy (2006), American Politics Research (2005), and Law & Society Review (2003). In recognition of his teaching, he received the Pew Teaching Excellence Award from Grand Valley State University in 2006. Richards' research on jurisprudential regimes and Supreme Court decision-making has influenced studies in judicial politics and free speech protections.