Authors
Rick Farmer, Ph.D.
Dean of the J. Rufus Fears Fellowship
Dr. Rick Farmer serves as OCPA’s Dean of the J. Rufus Fears Fellowship. Previously, Rick served as director of committee staff at the Oklahoma House of Representatives, deputy insurance commissioner, and director of the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Commission. Earning his Ph.D. at the University of Oklahoma and tenure at the University of Akron, Rick can best be described as a “pracademic.” While working full-time in the Oklahoma government, he continued to teach and write. He served as president of the Oklahoma Political Science Association and chairman of the American Political Science Association’s Practical Politics Working Group. In 2016, he was awarded the Oklahoma Political Science Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Farmer has appeared on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, C-SPAN, BBC Radio, and various local news outlets. His comments are quoted in the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and numerous local newspapers. He is the author of more than 30 academic chapters and articles and the co-editor of four books.
Recent Articles
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Law & Principles
How Oklahoma’s presidential votes officially count
Choosing the President of the United States is not as simple as voters going to the polls and holding an inauguration. In fact, it is a series of events that take place over several months. These include party primaries, conventions, and the general election. Each state and its parties have their own way of conducting these activities. Because the rules are different across the country, it is better described as a process than as a system. Oklahoma’s 2024 process looks like this.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | March 20, 2024
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Good Government
OCPA’s Fears Fellows are making an impact
The primary purpose of the fellowship is to identify and train the next generation of conservative leaders for Oklahoma. Over the past couple of years, the Fears Fellowship has become much more than training.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | April 17, 2023
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Law & Principles, Culture & the Family
How to be an effective advocate at the state Capitol
When you are passionate about an issue, you want policymakers to hear your voice. Here are some ways you can effectively communicate your concerns to your legislators.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | April 10, 2023
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Economy
Economists bust the myth of income inequality
Many on the left have a moral objection to the idea that people who are more productive should have more buying power than those who are less productive. This leads to arguments over income equality. There are two major problems with the left’s premise. First, the desire for buying power incentivizes production, which benefits us all. Second, the left simply has its facts wrong.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | December 13, 2022
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Good Government
Predicting congressional elections
The partisan control of Congress is more a matter of self-fulfilling predictions than a matter of competitive elections.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | February 15, 2022
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Law & Principles, Good Government
With 2,300 bills introduced, which ones should you watch?
How is an interested citizen to know which bills actually have a chance—and which ones are dead on arrival? The answer is much simpler than you might think.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | January 26, 2022
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Good Government
A citizen’s guide to the Oklahoma Legislature
Few of us have thought much about how the Legislature works since our 9th-grade civics class or maybe a freshman college government course, so most of us are a little rusty on the process. A little refresher will help you be more effective in the policymaking world.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | June 25, 2021
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Budget & Tax
$2 billion in state savings prudent
Gov. Kevin Stitt is making good on his promise to save $2 billion for the rainy day fund in order to keep the government operating through difficult budget years.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | May 28, 2021
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Culture & the Family
Tommie’s story: Training Oklahoma’s future leaders
A young father of two, Tommie has served as police officer for eight years, obtaining the rank of master officer and wearing a lifesaving award on his uniform.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | December 14, 2020
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Culture & the Family, Good Government
Barbara’s story: Lighting the conservative fire within
Wouldn’t it be nice to have conservatives on the city council who believe in limited government and free markets? Let me introduce Barbara.Rick Farmer, Ph.D. | December 14, 2020
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