Kristen Renwick Monroe
Chancellor's Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Political Science
School of Social Sciences
School of Social Sciences
PH.D., University of Chicago, 1974
M.A., University of Chicago, 1970, International Relations
A.B., Smith College, 1968, Government
M.A., University of Chicago, 1970, International Relations
A.B., Smith College, 1968, Government
University of California, Irvine
4103 Social Sciences Plaza A
Irvine, CA 92697
4103 Social Sciences Plaza A
Irvine, CA 92697
Research Interests
Political Psychology, Political Economy, Ethics with special emphasis on rationality, altruism, genocide, and gender equality
Academic Distinctions
MAJOR ELECTED OFFICES AND HONORS
Hazel Gaudet Erskine Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Work in Political Psychology
Newkirk Fellow, UCI, 2024-2025
Harold Lasswell Prize. Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Work in Political Psychology. The International Society of Political Psychology, 2023.
John Sullivan Mentoring Award, International Society of Political Psychology, 2021
President of the American Political Science Assn. Section on Human Rights. (Program Chair, 2020, President 2021-22).
Senior Mentoring Award, UCI School of Social Sciences, 2019
Berlin Prize, Dirk Ippen Fellow, American Academy in Berlin Spring 2018
Visiting Professor. Harvard, Fall 2017
2017 Knutsen Award for Outstanding Service to the Society, International Society of Political Psychology
Plenary speaker, Association for Baha’i Studies, 2017
Board member, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, Center for the Scientific Study of Creativity: Literature, Arts and Science, 2016- 2018
Lecturer, International Society of Political Psychology’s Summer Institute. San Diego, July 2015
Templeton Foundation, Keynote Speaker, Conference on Virtues of Care and Compassion. Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Center/Caltech. October 2015.
Carnegie Foundation Conference: Higher Education/Philanthropic Leaders’ Summit, NYC. May 2015
A Darkling Plain: Stories of Conflict and Humanity during War. Cambridge U Press, 2015. With Chloe Lampros-Monroe and Jonah Pellecchia. Honorable Mention Choice Best Book Award, 2016. Pulitzer nominee. Featured in a Critical Dialogue Symposium, Perspective on Politics, Volume 14 / 2 / June 2016, pp 515-517.
Keynote Speaker, Technology and Culture Forum. MIT. November 2014
2014 University of California Irvine Outstanding Mentor, Awarded by the UCI Emeriti Association
Keynote Speaker, Annual British Psychological Society Social Psychology Conference, Canterbury, England, 2014
Elected Book Review Editor, Political Psychology, January 2013-present
2013 Nevitt Sanford Award for Professional Contributions to Political Psychology, International Society of Political Psychology
President, Women’s Caucus for Political Science, American Political Science Association, 2014-15
Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 2012-2013
Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide: Identity and Moral Choice. 2013 Winner, Giovanni Satori Best Book Award, Qualitative Methods Organized Section of the American Political Science Association. Featured in a symposium in Perspectives on Politics, June 2012. Honorable Mention, The Robert L. Jervis and Paul Schroeder Best Book Award of the American Political Science Association, Organized Section on International History and Politics. Special review issue of Perspectives on Politics, June 2013.
Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Lectures, Swedish Ministry of Culture, Stockholm, Sweden. March 2012
Chair, Presidential Task Force on Workable Solutions to Gender Equality in Academia, American Political Science Association, 2010-2011, 2012-2013.
The 2011 Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Speaker, Principia College
2010 Ithiel De Sola Pool Award and Lectureship for Outstanding Work in Political Science, American Political Science Association
2010 Paul Silverman Award for Distinguished Work in Ethics, UCI Ethics Center
2010 Goodnow Award for Service to the Profession, American Political Science Association
2008 UCI Faculty Senate Award for Distinguished Research
President, International Society of Political Psychology, 2007-2008
2005 Guetzkow-Heyns-McKeachie Lecturer, University of Michigan.
The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust.2005 Winner, Robert Lane Award for Best Book in Political Psychology, American Political Science Association. Honorable Mention 2005 Giovanni Sartori Award, APSA. Nominated for the National Book Award. Subject of special panels at the 2005 Meetings of the International Society of Political Psychology (July 2005, Toronto) and the Social Science History Association (November 2005, Portland).
Vice President, International Society of Political Psychology, 2003-6
Vice President, American Political Science Association, 2002
President, American Political Science Association Section on Political Psychology, 2001-2
The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity.
1997 Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Winner of the Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Section on Political Psychology. Subject of an APSA Panel and panel at American Historical Society, 1997. Reviewed positively in The New Republic by Martha Nussbaum.
Vice President and Council Member, 1999-2001. Midwest Political Science Association
Earhart Fellow, 1985-6, 1989-90, 2001-1.
Laurance S. Rockefeller Fellow, Princeton University, University Center for Human Values 1991-2
Killam Fellow in Political Economy and Econometrics, University of British Columbia, 1975-76
LaVerne Noyes Fellow, University of Chicago, 1970-2
Visiting Fellow, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University 1991-91, 1992-3
Meta-Mentoring Award for Changing the Discipline of Political Science. 2007. Mentor of Distinction Award, American Political Science Association, Women’s Caucus for Political Science, 1993. Certificate of Appreciation for Extraordinary Service, APSA Women’s Caucus 2001.
Secret Society of Name Drop Geniuses. New York Review of Books, 2023, Thanks to John Maynard Keynes.
Hazel Gaudet Erskine Career Achievement Award for Outstanding Work in Political Psychology
Newkirk Fellow, UCI, 2024-2025
Harold Lasswell Prize. Lifetime Achievement for Outstanding Work in Political Psychology. The International Society of Political Psychology, 2023.
John Sullivan Mentoring Award, International Society of Political Psychology, 2021
President of the American Political Science Assn. Section on Human Rights. (Program Chair, 2020, President 2021-22).
Senior Mentoring Award, UCI School of Social Sciences, 2019
Berlin Prize, Dirk Ippen Fellow, American Academy in Berlin Spring 2018
Visiting Professor. Harvard, Fall 2017
2017 Knutsen Award for Outstanding Service to the Society, International Society of Political Psychology
Plenary speaker, Association for Baha’i Studies, 2017
Board member, Ayala School of Biological Sciences, Center for the Scientific Study of Creativity: Literature, Arts and Science, 2016- 2018
Lecturer, International Society of Political Psychology’s Summer Institute. San Diego, July 2015
Templeton Foundation, Keynote Speaker, Conference on Virtues of Care and Compassion. Travis Research Institute, Fuller Theological Center/Caltech. October 2015.
Carnegie Foundation Conference: Higher Education/Philanthropic Leaders’ Summit, NYC. May 2015
A Darkling Plain: Stories of Conflict and Humanity during War. Cambridge U Press, 2015. With Chloe Lampros-Monroe and Jonah Pellecchia. Honorable Mention Choice Best Book Award, 2016. Pulitzer nominee. Featured in a Critical Dialogue Symposium, Perspective on Politics, Volume 14 / 2 / June 2016, pp 515-517.
Keynote Speaker, Technology and Culture Forum. MIT. November 2014
2014 University of California Irvine Outstanding Mentor, Awarded by the UCI Emeriti Association
Keynote Speaker, Annual British Psychological Society Social Psychology Conference, Canterbury, England, 2014
Elected Book Review Editor, Political Psychology, January 2013-present
2013 Nevitt Sanford Award for Professional Contributions to Political Psychology, International Society of Political Psychology
President, Women’s Caucus for Political Science, American Political Science Association, 2014-15
Fellow, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 2012-2013
Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide: Identity and Moral Choice. 2013 Winner, Giovanni Satori Best Book Award, Qualitative Methods Organized Section of the American Political Science Association. Featured in a symposium in Perspectives on Politics, June 2012. Honorable Mention, The Robert L. Jervis and Paul Schroeder Best Book Award of the American Political Science Association, Organized Section on International History and Politics. Special review issue of Perspectives on Politics, June 2013.
Raoul Wallenberg Centennial Lectures, Swedish Ministry of Culture, Stockholm, Sweden. March 2012
Chair, Presidential Task Force on Workable Solutions to Gender Equality in Academia, American Political Science Association, 2010-2011, 2012-2013.
The 2011 Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Speaker, Principia College
2010 Ithiel De Sola Pool Award and Lectureship for Outstanding Work in Political Science, American Political Science Association
2010 Paul Silverman Award for Distinguished Work in Ethics, UCI Ethics Center
2010 Goodnow Award for Service to the Profession, American Political Science Association
2008 UCI Faculty Senate Award for Distinguished Research
President, International Society of Political Psychology, 2007-2008
2005 Guetzkow-Heyns-McKeachie Lecturer, University of Michigan.
The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust.2005 Winner, Robert Lane Award for Best Book in Political Psychology, American Political Science Association. Honorable Mention 2005 Giovanni Sartori Award, APSA. Nominated for the National Book Award. Subject of special panels at the 2005 Meetings of the International Society of Political Psychology (July 2005, Toronto) and the Social Science History Association (November 2005, Portland).
Vice President, International Society of Political Psychology, 2003-6
Vice President, American Political Science Association, 2002
President, American Political Science Association Section on Political Psychology, 2001-2
The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity.
1997 Pulitzer Prize Nominee, Winner of the Best Book Award, American Political Science Association Section on Political Psychology. Subject of an APSA Panel and panel at American Historical Society, 1997. Reviewed positively in The New Republic by Martha Nussbaum.
Vice President and Council Member, 1999-2001. Midwest Political Science Association
Earhart Fellow, 1985-6, 1989-90, 2001-1.
Laurance S. Rockefeller Fellow, Princeton University, University Center for Human Values 1991-2
Killam Fellow in Political Economy and Econometrics, University of British Columbia, 1975-76
LaVerne Noyes Fellow, University of Chicago, 1970-2
Visiting Fellow, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University 1991-91, 1992-3
Meta-Mentoring Award for Changing the Discipline of Political Science. 2007. Mentor of Distinction Award, American Political Science Association, Women’s Caucus for Political Science, 1993. Certificate of Appreciation for Extraordinary Service, APSA Women’s Caucus 2001.
Secret Society of Name Drop Geniuses. New York Review of Books, 2023, Thanks to John Maynard Keynes.
Appointments
Killam Post-Doctoral Fellow in Econometrics and Political Economy, University of British Columbia
Research Abstract
Kristen Renwick Monroe is a scholar whose work has changed the field of political psychology, political economy, and normative political theory. Monroe’s award-winning work on altruism and moral choice deals with a central problem in politics and ethics: our treatment of others. Her work provides a valuable counter-point to rational choice theory, suggesting identity constrains choices by limiting the options we find available, not just ethically but cognitively. Monroe is the author of 18 single-authored books or edited volumes and over 100 articles or book chapters. Her awards include two Pulitzer nominations, a National Book Award nomination, several American Political Science Association Best Book awards and/or honorable mentions, two of the APSA's lifetime achievement awards (the 2010 Goodnow Award and APSA's 2010 Ithiel deSola Pool Award), two lifetime achievement awards from the International Society of Political Psychology, UCI's Distinguished Research Award, and the 2010 Paul Silverman Award for Outstanding Work in Ethics. She has served as the President of the International Society of Political Psychology and Vice-president of the American Political Science Association. Her most recently completed works include "Chloe and Nicole and the Elephant in the Parlor: Essays on Identity and Ethics", "Empowering Women" about gender equality in academia, "When Conscience Calls: Portraits of Moral Courage", and a book in progress on the decline of democracy in the USA and Germany during the Weimar period.
Publications
SELECTED BOOKS. Published 22 books
[1] The Political Process and Economic Change (Editor). New York: Agathon Press, 1983.
[2[ Presidential Popularity and the Economy. Praeger. Reviewed positively in the Statesman.
[3] The Economic Approach to Politics: A Critical Reassessment of the Theory of Rational Action. (Editor). New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
[4] Political Economy and Political Psychology. (Editor) Special edition of POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 16, 1 (March 1995).
[5] The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996. 1997 Best Book Award, American Political Science Association, Section on Political Psychology. 1997 Pulitzer Prize nominee.
[6] Contemporary Empirical Political Theory. (Editor) Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997.
[7] Political Psychology (Editor). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, November 2002
[8] The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust. 2004. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Winner Robert Lane Award, Honorable Mention Giovanni Sartori Award, APSA. National book Award nominee.
[9] Perestroika! The Raucous Revolution in Political Science. (Editor). New Haven, CT: Yale U Press, 2005.
[10] Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical, and Political Issues. Co-edited with Ronald B. Miller and Jerome Tobis. University of California Press. 2007. Favorably reviewed in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine.
[11] On Behalf of Others: The Psychology of Benevolence in a Global World. Edited volume with C. Kinnvall and Sarah Scuzzarello. Oxford U Press. 2009.
[12] Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide: Identity, Political Psychology and Moral Choice. Princeton U Press. 2012. Winner of the 2013 Giovanni Sartori Best Book Award, Qualitative Methods Section of the American Political Science Association. Honorable Mention for the 2013 Robert L. Jervis and Paul Schroeder Best Book Award, International History and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association
[13] Science, Ethics, and Politics: Conversations and Investigations. Edited volume with chapters by Francisco Ayala, Kenneth Arrow, Warren S. Brown, William Chiu, Joe DiMento, Gil Geis, Peter Hawkins Jennifer Hochschild, Cheryl Koopman, Nicholas Lampros, Chloe Lampros-Monroe, Adam Martin, Rose McDermott, Kristen Renwick Monroe, Gregory Peterson, Bridgette Portman, Thomas Schelling, Michael Spezio, Kevin Reimer, James Van Slyke, and Nicole Wernimont. Paradigm Press. 2011.
[14] A Darkling Plain: Stories of Conflict and Humanity during War. (2015), Cambridge University Press. With Chloe Lampros-Monroe and Jonah Pellecchia and the assistance of Sif Heide-Ottosen, Shant Setrak Meguerditchian and the Students in Political Science 149C, 2015. Choice Honorable Mention. Pulitzer Prize Nominee.
[15] Narratives of [In]Security, Nationhood, Culture, Religion, and Gender. With Catarina Kinnvall and Molly Andrews. Special issue in Political Psychology. 36, 2 (April) 2015.
[16] On Ethics and Economics: Conversations with Kenneth Arrow. 2016. With Kenneth J. Arrow and Nicholas Lampros. Foreword by Amartya Sen. Francis and Taylor/Routledge and Kegan Paul Press.
[17] The Evils of Polygyny. The Easton Lectures with Rose McDermott. Comments by B.J. Wary, Robert Jervis, and Valerie Hudson. Kristen Monroe, editor. 2018, Cornell University Press.
[18] The Unspoken Morality of Childhood: Family, Friendship, Self-Esteem and the Wisdom of the Everyday. Anthem Press. May 2022.
[19] When Conscience Calls: What is Moral Courage and What Drives It? University of Chicago Press, 2023.
[20] How Science Engages with Ethics and Why It Should. De Gruyter. Kristen R. Monroe, Editor. April 22, 2024.
[21] Pathways to Political Psychology and Challenges for the Future. Oxford U Press. In press 2024.
[22] Politics, Principle and Standing Up to Donald Trump: Political Moral Courage and the Republican Party. Ethics International, June 2024. With Daniel Delpassand, Isabelle Dastgheib, Aniket Kamat, Alexis Kim, Brock Lichthardt, Manassa Meenakshi, Antonia Park, Elise Park, Evan Razmjoo, Max Razmjoo, Luca Shakoori, Sunny Sun, and Daniel Yoon.
In progress:
[23] Morality and Politics: How Trump’s Assault on the Moral Foundations of America Will be His Downfall. Under review.
[24] Hot Button Political Issues and Fostering Difficult Dialogues across Political Divides. Edited volume. Under review.
[25] A Bridge over Troubled Waters: Moral Choice and Finding Solace during Times of Trouble. In progress.
[26] Social Science, Moral Relativism and Universal Moral Values: Moral Courage in Contemporary Liberal Democracies, Tudor England, Reformation Germany and the Third Reich.
[25] To Say No to Death: Decency and Moral Courage during the Holocaust.
[1] The Political Process and Economic Change (Editor). New York: Agathon Press, 1983.
[2[ Presidential Popularity and the Economy. Praeger. Reviewed positively in the Statesman.
[3] The Economic Approach to Politics: A Critical Reassessment of the Theory of Rational Action. (Editor). New York: HarperCollins, 1991.
[4] Political Economy and Political Psychology. (Editor) Special edition of POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 16, 1 (March 1995).
[5] The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996. 1997 Best Book Award, American Political Science Association, Section on Political Psychology. 1997 Pulitzer Prize nominee.
[6] Contemporary Empirical Political Theory. (Editor) Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1997.
[7] Political Psychology (Editor). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, November 2002
[8] The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust. 2004. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Winner Robert Lane Award, Honorable Mention Giovanni Sartori Award, APSA. National book Award nominee.
[9] Perestroika! The Raucous Revolution in Political Science. (Editor). New Haven, CT: Yale U Press, 2005.
[10] Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical, and Political Issues. Co-edited with Ronald B. Miller and Jerome Tobis. University of California Press. 2007. Favorably reviewed in Nature, New England Journal of Medicine.
[11] On Behalf of Others: The Psychology of Benevolence in a Global World. Edited volume with C. Kinnvall and Sarah Scuzzarello. Oxford U Press. 2009.
[12] Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide: Identity, Political Psychology and Moral Choice. Princeton U Press. 2012. Winner of the 2013 Giovanni Sartori Best Book Award, Qualitative Methods Section of the American Political Science Association. Honorable Mention for the 2013 Robert L. Jervis and Paul Schroeder Best Book Award, International History and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association
[13] Science, Ethics, and Politics: Conversations and Investigations. Edited volume with chapters by Francisco Ayala, Kenneth Arrow, Warren S. Brown, William Chiu, Joe DiMento, Gil Geis, Peter Hawkins Jennifer Hochschild, Cheryl Koopman, Nicholas Lampros, Chloe Lampros-Monroe, Adam Martin, Rose McDermott, Kristen Renwick Monroe, Gregory Peterson, Bridgette Portman, Thomas Schelling, Michael Spezio, Kevin Reimer, James Van Slyke, and Nicole Wernimont. Paradigm Press. 2011.
[14] A Darkling Plain: Stories of Conflict and Humanity during War. (2015), Cambridge University Press. With Chloe Lampros-Monroe and Jonah Pellecchia and the assistance of Sif Heide-Ottosen, Shant Setrak Meguerditchian and the Students in Political Science 149C, 2015. Choice Honorable Mention. Pulitzer Prize Nominee.
[15] Narratives of [In]Security, Nationhood, Culture, Religion, and Gender. With Catarina Kinnvall and Molly Andrews. Special issue in Political Psychology. 36, 2 (April) 2015.
[16] On Ethics and Economics: Conversations with Kenneth Arrow. 2016. With Kenneth J. Arrow and Nicholas Lampros. Foreword by Amartya Sen. Francis and Taylor/Routledge and Kegan Paul Press.
[17] The Evils of Polygyny. The Easton Lectures with Rose McDermott. Comments by B.J. Wary, Robert Jervis, and Valerie Hudson. Kristen Monroe, editor. 2018, Cornell University Press.
[18] The Unspoken Morality of Childhood: Family, Friendship, Self-Esteem and the Wisdom of the Everyday. Anthem Press. May 2022.
[19] When Conscience Calls: What is Moral Courage and What Drives It? University of Chicago Press, 2023.
[20] How Science Engages with Ethics and Why It Should. De Gruyter. Kristen R. Monroe, Editor. April 22, 2024.
[21] Pathways to Political Psychology and Challenges for the Future. Oxford U Press. In press 2024.
[22] Politics, Principle and Standing Up to Donald Trump: Political Moral Courage and the Republican Party. Ethics International, June 2024. With Daniel Delpassand, Isabelle Dastgheib, Aniket Kamat, Alexis Kim, Brock Lichthardt, Manassa Meenakshi, Antonia Park, Elise Park, Evan Razmjoo, Max Razmjoo, Luca Shakoori, Sunny Sun, and Daniel Yoon.
In progress:
[23] Morality and Politics: How Trump’s Assault on the Moral Foundations of America Will be His Downfall. Under review.
[24] Hot Button Political Issues and Fostering Difficult Dialogues across Political Divides. Edited volume. Under review.
[25] A Bridge over Troubled Waters: Moral Choice and Finding Solace during Times of Trouble. In progress.
[26] Social Science, Moral Relativism and Universal Moral Values: Moral Courage in Contemporary Liberal Democracies, Tudor England, Reformation Germany and the Third Reich.
[25] To Say No to Death: Decency and Moral Courage during the Holocaust.
Grants
MAJOR GRANTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
LaVerne Noyes Fellow, University of Chicago, 1970-72
Killam Fellow, University of British Columbia, 1974-76
Spencer Foundation Grants (2), 1979-82, 2006-8
Exxon Educational Fund Grant, 1981-82
National Science Foundation Grants (2), 1981, 1982
Social Science Research Council of Canada, 1984-85
Earhart Foundation Grants (3), 1985-86, 1989-90, 2000
Visiting Fellow, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, 1990-1991
Laurance S. Rockefeller Fellow, 1991-1992
Center for German and European Studies, 1993
Center for Global Peace and Conflict Studies, 1995-6, 2005-2006
Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, 1997-8
National Endowment for the Humanities, 1998
Social Science Research Grant, 1999
Earhart Fellow 2000
National Science Foundation 2000
National Science Foundation, SBE Advance Institutional Transformation Award 2001-6
Center for German and European Studies 2002-3
UCI Committee on Research, Computing and Libraries 2002-3
Biosophical Society, 2006-7
California Postsecondary Education 2007-2011
NSF, 2012-2014.
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University. 2012-2013
Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, UCI, 2016
Berlin Prize, 2018
Other Experience
Founding Director
UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality
UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality
Adjunct Professor
Logic and Philosophy of Science, UCI
Logic and Philosophy of Science, UCI
Research Centers
Director, UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality
Link to this profile
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=4880
https://faculty.uci.edu/profile/?facultyId=4880
Last updated
01/16/2026
01/16/2026