Payton Capes-Davis

PhD Student

University of Florida

Payton Capes-Davis is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Florida, specializing in Comparative Politics and Political Methodology. His research examines citizenship, migration, political behavior, and state institutions, with a particular focus on how public policy shapes democratic incorporation and the political attitudes of immigrants. More broadly, her dissertation explores the role of state institutions in structuring political inclusion, civic participation, and inequality.

Payton's dissertation investigates the behavioral and attitudinal consequences of civic integration requirements for naturalized citizens across Western Europe. Drawing on theories of political socialization and institutional development, the project conceptualizes naturalization as a form of state-mediated socialization, examining how civic integration courses and related requirements influence naturalized citizens' attitudes toward the state, democratic institutions, and their fellow citizens. The dissertation employs a mixed-methods research design that combines cross-national survey data, an experimental conjoint survey, and qualitative interviews.