Director, Survey Center on American Life

Daniel Cox is the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a research fellow in polling and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he specializes in survey research, politics, youth culture and identity, and religion. 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.

He is also the coauthor of numerous academic book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers on topics relating to religious polarization, anti-Muslim attitudes in the US, religious tolerance of atheists, and new methods for measuring social class and religious belief.

Dr. Cox’s work is frequently featured in the popular press, including in The Atlantic, CNN, and The Washington Post. He is a contributor to FiveThirtyEight and Business Insider.

Dr. Cox holds an MA and a PhD in American government from Georgetown University, where he focused on public opinion, political behavior, and religion and politics.

Experience
  • American University: Fellow, 2019–present
  • Business Insider: Contributor, 2019–present
  • College Pulse: Research Adviser, 2018–present
  • FiveThirtyEight: Contributor, 2016–present
  • PRRI: Cofounder; Research Director, 2009–18
  • Pew Research Center: Research Associate, 2007–08
Education

PhD, MA, American government, Georgetown University
BA, political science, Union College