Laurie M. Johnson
Ph.D. Political Science, Northern Illinois University, 1990
Laurie Johnson is a Professor of Political Science and Swogger Chair of Primary Texts. She serves as the Director of the Primary Texts Certificate at Kansas State University. She is the author of eight books and numerous book chapters and articles. Most of her work has involved developing an understanding and critique of classical liberal theory, and includes works on Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau and Tocqueville. Her most recent books have dealt with ideological dynamics in our world today, especially ideological polarization and extremism. Ideological Possession and the Rise of the New Right was published in 2019. Her latest book, The Gap in God’s Country: A Longer View on Our Culture Wars, was published by Wipf & Stock in 2024.
Her teaching includes courses on the history of political philosophy, ideologies, and environmental political thought. She also provides political philosophy and political theology content weekly on her Political Philosophy YouTube channel, which currently has 24,000 subscribers and 1.6 million views, and its associated podcast.
