J. Austin Ranney

J. Austin Ranney (March 29, 1920 – July 24, 2006) was an American political scientist known for his expertise on political parties in the United States and in Britain. He taught at the University of Illinois (1947–1963), the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1963–1976), and the University of California, Berkeley (1986–1991). He was president of the American Political Science Association 1974–1975 and a senior scholar in residence of the American Enterprise Institute 1975–1985.

Early life and education Ranney was born on March 29, 1920, in Cortland, New York. He then moved to California young and grew up in Corona, California, where he became a debate star and earned a debate scholarship.

Ranney earned his B.A. degree at Northwestern University in 1941, his M.A. at the University of Oregon in 1943, and his Ph.D. at Yale University in 1948.

He served as president of the American Political Science Association in 1974–1975, and also served as managing editor of the American Political Science Review. He was a Guggenheim fellow (1974). While he was a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute 1975–1985, he edited its journal ''Public Opinion.