Joshua J. Dyck is a political scientist and election commentator. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Government in Politics from the University of Maryland and holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science from Western Washington University. He is currently an Associate Professor with tenure in the Political Science Department with a courtesy adjunct appointment in the Geography Department at the University at Buffalo, where he has been on the faculty since 2006. He also spent a year as a Dissertation Fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California during the 2005-2006 academic year.

Professor Dyck studies American politics, with a focus on public opinion, voting behavior, and state politics. Much of his research is motivated by the interplay between public opinion and different social and institutional settings, examining the way that democratic citizens react to democratic environments and political institutions. His research has appeared in many leading scholarly journals including The Journal of Politics, Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, Social Science Quarterly, Electoral Studies, and American Politics Research. He is also is the co-editor of The Guide to State Politics and Policy with Professor Richard Niemi of the University of Rochester, currently under contract with CQ Press.

The largest sub-section of this research has focused on direct legislation in the American states. Professor Dyck has published 7 peer-reviewed articles and 2 book chapters on direct legislation and its effects on democratic citizens, and is currently in the process of writing a book-length manuscript entitled Direct Democracy in America: Conflict, Spillover Effects, and the Progressive Legacy.

Other research projects have focused on public opinion, neighborhood context and minority groups, looking at topics such as the racialization of welfare attitudes, co-ethnic context and the political participation of immigrant groups, as well as religiosity, party identification and how social context affects attitudes about gay marriage. His more recent work has also examined the policy responsiveness of state legislatures and the unintended consequences of convenience voting reforms.

Professor Dyck's research has been highlighted in popular media outlets like Miller-McCune and Forbes. His election analysis has appeared in national and international media outlets like Time, Reuters, and The Globe and Mail. He is also a regular analyst for local media having done extensive election commentary for both WBEN and WBFO in Buffalo, as well as for the Capitol Press Room Program on NPR across New York State.

He is also an avid tennis player, sports fan and movie/theatre enthusiast.