Dr. Brian Hanson
Areas of Expertise
- Graduate Faculty
- Policy
- Political Science
Biography
- BA, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
- PhD, University of Kansas
- Hometown: Lexington, Nebraska
- Joined UNK Faculty: 2026
US Politics, Public Policy, Rural Politics
People who study US politics and public policy investigate how institutions create and implement laws. Important questions driving inquiry in these areas include:
- How well do the institutions of government translate ideas and public opinion into law?
- How do they then implement those laws?
- How responsive are institutions to rural populations?
- How well are rural areas served by policy?
- How does public opinion and political participation differ in rural areas of the US?
On working with undergraduate students
"College was a transformational experience for this former farm kid. It expanded my horizons and deepened my curiosity about my community, the larger world, and my place within them - so much so that wanted to be a part of that process for others. I can't think of a more enjoyable way to spend a career than discussing these ideas with students and helping them investigate their own questions."
A favorite quote (or two)
"It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till." - Gandalf the White, The Return of the King, J.R.R. Tolkien
"You can see the kingdom from the tailgate if you stack a couple coolers, but you're never gonna see it from the front of the line" - Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band
Courses
- Introduction to American Politics
- State and Local Government
- Public Policy
- Health Policy
Recent Publications
- Dennis, Elliott, Jay Parsons, Ashley Miller, Jennifer Meek Farley, and Brian Hanson. 2025. “Efficacy of Livestock Producer Educational Risk Management In-Person Meetings.” The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension0(0): 1–19.
- Hanson, Brian R., Thomas A. Ringenberg, and Juan L. Urbano. 2019. “Immigration, Threat, and Trust in Government in Changing Rural Communities.” Great Plains Research 29(2) 83-106.
- Hallenbrook, Christopher, Brian Hanson, Alexander Jørgensen, and Sondra Richards. 2020. “Civic Engagement - 2020 Teaching & Learning Conference Track Summaries.” PS: Political Science & Politics 53(3): 575–92.
- King, Nikki, Sarah Huling, Marcus Pigman, and Brian Hanson “EMS Services in Rural America: Challenges and Opportunities” May 2018. National Rural Health Association Policy Documents.
