Samuel L. Popkin (born June 9, 1942) is an American political scientist who teaches at the University of California, San Diego.
Popkin has played a role in the development of rational choice models in political science.
When he was assistant professor of Government, in 1972, he was jailed for a week, for his refusal to answer questions before a grand jury investigating the Pentagon Papers case, during a hearing before the Boston's Federal District Court.
His current research focuses on presidential campaigns and the relationship of public opinion to foreign policy.
Popkin is married to Susan Shirk, research professor and chair of the 21st Century China Center at the Graduate School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego.