Daniel A. Cox is the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior fellow in polling and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Under his leadership, the center is focused on public opinion and survey research on a variety of topics, including the emerging gender divide among young adults, dating and relationships, and social connection. Before joining AEI, he was the research director at PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), which he cofounded and where he led the organization’s qualitative and quantitative research program.
Dr. Cox is currently writing Uncoupled (Penguin Random House), a book exploring the increasingly complex relationships between young men and women and the decline of dating and long-term partnerships. Drawing on extensive surveys and qualitative interviews among young adults, this book will examine the challenges of modern masculinity, the growing education gap, and the impact of social media in an era of diminished personal connection and rising mistrust. The book also considers how young people’s approach to relationships is changing in the face of deepening disconnection and heightened fears around safety after #MeToo.
The work of Dr. Cox is regularly featured in the popular press, including in the New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, and the Washington Post. He is a contributor to FiveThirtyEight and Insider.
Dr. Cox holds a PhD and an MA in American government from Georgetown University, where he focused on public opinion, political behavior, and religion and politics. Read more.
Kelsey Eyre Hammond
Program Associate and Researcher | @klehshey
Kelsey Eyre Hammond is a program coordinator here at American Enterprise Institute (AEI)’s Survey Center on American Life. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brigham Young University with a minor in Mandarin Chinese.
Kelsey has researched and written about partisan trust, partisan sorting, and the intersection of politics and religion. Her interests include public opinion regarding societal and cultural norms and phenomenons, women’s experiences, and trends in religion.
Avery Shields
Research Assistant
Avery Shields is a Research Assistant at AEI’s Survey Center on American Life. She graduated from the George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in French Language, Literature, and Culture.
Avery has researched racial demographic change and the evolution of the American electorate. Her interests lie in understanding how Americans process political information and make decisions about voting and civic life.
Jae Grace
Research Assistant
Jae Grace is a Research Assistant at AEI’s Survey Center on American Life. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Barnard College with a minor in Economics.
Jae has researched political behavior with a focus on religious coalitions and the political attitudes of religious voters. Her interests include demographic trends, shifting political coalitions, and the overlay of religious and political identity.
Recent Commentary
March 10, 2025Daniel A. Cox
America’s Parents Are Civic Superheroes
Americans are retreating from civic life—but college-educated parents are stepping up, volunteering, hosting gatherings, and keeping communities connected while others stay home.
February 14, 2025Daniel A. Cox
Are Political Differences Behind America’s Dating Woes?
Political divisions between young men and women are preventing them from forming meaningful relationships.
October 28, 2024Daniel A. Cox
Are Young Men Really Going to Vote for Donald Trump?
Young men are leaning towards Trump in recent polls. Are the polls accurate?
October 16, 2024Daniel A. Cox
All the single ladies are backing Kamala
Unmarried women make up a whopping 25% of the electorate — and that’s bad news for Donald Trump.