Vergniolle de Chantal François – EN

Full Professor of American Politics and Government

francois.de-chantal@u-paris.fr

Research | Bio | Medias | Publications | Articles

Research

• US Political Institutions
• American Congress
• Ideologies and political thought
• Social Movements
• American conservatism
• Elections
• Political Parties and new political agents (data analysts etc.)

My research primarily deals with US political life broadly considered: politics, policy and polity. While my work is mostly on the contemporary period, my approach is that of American Political Development (APD) and I read the contemporary events in light of the past, especially the Antebellum Era and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.

After a first book on US federalism (“Le fédéralisme américain en question”, 2006) and another on the US Senate (“L’impossible présidence impériale”, 2016), my current project investigates the concept of “solidarity” as well as the evolutions of local democracy politics to test the idea of a resilient US democracy. I also work with colleagues dealing with political ecology.

Administrative and pedagogical functions in 2025-26 :

– Coordinator for the Joint Master in English and American Studies at Université Paris Cité.
– Board member for the Graduate School Arts, History and Humanities in Global Perspective.
– Elected member of the English Studies department (“UFR d’Etudes Anglophones”) board.
– Elected member of the Ecole Doctorale 131 “Histoire, langue, littérature et image” board.
– Editorial board member of the following scholarly journals: Ideas. idées d’Amériques and Politique Américaine.
– Organizing committee member of the “USPol” inter-laboratory seminar.

PhDs in progress (2025-26):

– Newt Gingrich and Republican party-building in Congress (1978-1994).
– American TV Series and Political Polarization.
– The MAGA movement and the rebuilding of the Republican Party.
– American evangelical missions in Cuba at the end of the 19th century.
– American technological control policies towards China.
– The Democratic Party at a crossroads: progressive Democratic campaign finance in NY (2016-2020).
– A haven of compromise? Federal and interstate cooperation in the implementation of environmental policies in the USA (1970-2022).
– The professional discourses of political consultants in the USA.
– American foreign policy towards Korea during the Vietnam War.

Research MAs’ past topics (M1 & M2):

Black conservative intellectuals – Democratic defection in the South – Contemporary “anti-environmental” movements – The impossible federal immigration reform – Neoconservatism and social reform – Military blogs during the Iraq war (2003- 2011) – The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) under Reagan – Voter suppression in North Carolina – Organizing for America and the Democratic Party – Trumpist think tanks – conservative tensions in the Supreme Court – Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and the “Squad” – the First Lady’s political role – the Flint health scandal – urban segregation in Atlanta.

Academic background:

– 2001, PhD in political science (political theory), IEP Paris (Sciences-Po), summa cum laude: “The Antifederalist Moment: the conservative politics of antifederalism in the United States from 1964 to 2000”. Supervisor: Prof. Denis Lacorne (Centre d’Études et de Recherches Internationales, CERI-FNSP).
– 2012, Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Lyon 2: “Pouvoirs et contrepouvoirs au sein des institutions politiques américaines”. Supervisor : Prof. Vincent Michelot
– 2002-2013, Associate Professor, University of Burgundy (Dijon)
– 2013-present, University Professor, Université Paris Diderot (2013-2020) – Université Paris Cité (since 2020).

Research Supervision:

• The Crisis of Primaries in American Elections. PhD.
• American Public Diplomacy in the Middle-East. PhD.
• Examples of Master topics (since 2013): Black conservative intellectuals – Democratic defection in the South – “anti-environment” groups in the US – Is Immigration Reform even Possible? – Neoconservatism and social reforms.

Bio

Education and Academic Positions:

• 2001, PhD in Political Science (Political Theory), Institute for Political Studies (“Sciences-Po”), Paris, cum laude: « Le fédéralisme en question : les politiques conservatrices de l’antifédéralisme aux États-Unis de 1964 à 2000» (The Antifederalist Moment in American Politics, 1964-2000). Supervisor : M. Denis Lacorne (Senior Researcher, CERI-FNSP).
• 2012, Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Lyon 2 : « Checks and Balances in American Political Institutions ». Supervisor : M. Vincent Michelot (Institute for Political Studies, Lyon)
• 2002-2013, Associate Professor, University of Burgundy (Dijon).
• 2013-present, Full Professor, Université Paris Diderot.

Administrative Responsibilities:

• Dean of Graduate Studies – English department – since 2018
• Joint Degree in English and American Studies (Université de Paris) – since 2014
• Elected member – Department Board (CA UFR).
• Elected member – Doctoral School (ED 131).

Media

Publications

Articles