My name is Matt Martin (he/him), and I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Comparative Constitutions Project, funded by the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Chicago Law School. I recently completed my PhD in Government at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in public law and comparative politics. My research examines constitution-making processes, with particular emphasis on mechanisms of public consultation. My other substantive interests include Latin American politics, U.S. immigration politics, and indigenous constitutionalism. I am on the 2025-26 job market.
My dissertation “The People’s Voice, The Drafters’ Choice” analyzes how and why constitution-makers choose to involve or exclude public input in drafting processes, analyzing the politics of public consultation in constitution-making. My methodological toolkit includes large-N analyses, natural language processing of constitutional deliberations, elite interviews, and case studies of constitution-making processes in Chile and Cuba. My first publication is accessible via open access at The Journal of Law and Courts.
Prior to graduate school, I received my B.A. in Political Science and Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. After graduation, I worked as a legal assistant in immigration law at a Washington, D.C. firm. I assisted attorneys with family- and humanitarian-based immigration cases ranging from permanent residence to removal defense to asylum, experience that deeply informs my scholarly interest in constitutional rights and immigration politics. I continue this commitment through ongoing advocacy work, supporting trans and gender non-conforming asylum seekers by gathering legal resources, contacting lawyers, and organizing fundraisers on their behalf.
Outside of work, I enjoy playing guitar and producing music—mostly lofi hip-hop.