Current Projects

“The Role of State Ecosystems in Women’s Political Representation and Power” 

This project examines the political ecosystems within five states (GA, IL, NV, OK, PA) to determine factors that both promote and hinder women’s political representation and power, looking specifically at the change (or lack thereof) in women’s representation between 2010 and 2021. It builds upon a conceptual framework for understanding women’s political success that pairs preparedness with opportunity (Carroll and Dittmar 2013). More specifically, the project will investigate how the factors shaping the function of state political ecosystem foster preparedness and create opportunities for women candidate emergence, selection, election, and representation. While there may be sites for overlap, we expect that preparedness and opportunity indicators likely differ in both form and function for women by race/ethnicity and party, as well as at different levels or types of office. A case study approach allows us to take an expansive view of state political ecosystems and women’s political representation, looking beyond (but including) formal political structures to investigate informal political practices and sites of political power that exist within each state. We define political ecosystems as the interconnected systems, networks of individuals and organizations, and overall environments in which both formal and informal politics occurs.

 

“Gender, Race, and Congressional Staff”

Addressing the dearth of existing research on congressional staff generally, and the gender and race dynamics therein more specifically, this project will document and explain the causes for and hurdles to women’s, and specifically women of color’s, growing power and influence in the U.S. Congress vis-à-vis staff roles since the early 20^th Century. I will conduct my analysis with attention to the professionalization of Congress over this period, as well as recognition of the raced and gendered terrain navigated by congressional actors. Importantly, I intend to use this research to both develop and apply a concept of staff-level representation that addresses gender, race, and intersectional identities and their potential influence on staff behavior. In doing so, I both contribute to existing literature on legislative institutions, identity, and representation, as well as expand these areas of study to credit the vital role of staff in legislative – and specifically congressional – processes and better illuminate the ways in which gender and race shape experiences, behavior, and power dynamics for all institutional actors.