I am a political scientist who studies American politics with a focus on political institutions. My dissertation explores the factors that are associated with members of Congress behaving as “policy wonks.” Broadly, I am interested in how the American legislative, administrative, and legal systems shape the policymaking process.
I currently serve as an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellow in the office of Congressmember Karen Bass (D-CA). I am a legislative fellow in the office, and my policy portfolio includes criminal justice and child welfare reform. (Please note that my research and any views expressed therein are not associated with Rep. Bass’s office or based on data derived from it).
My research on the legislative consequences of congressional scandals is forthcoming in Political Research Quarterly (with Tracy Sulkin and Bill Bernhard). I also have a paper forthcoming at Social Science Quarterly(with Benjamin Kantack) that examines the persuasive dynamics of the debate over gun control
I received my Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois in 2018. I earned my B.A. from the University of Nebraska in 2008 and my J.D. from The George Washington University Law School in 2011.
