My Research Agenda
My research investigates how ethno-religious identities shape elite decision-making. Initially I focused on decision-making in the U.S. Congress on cultural issues, such as LGBTQ rights and reproductive policy. In recent years, however, I have expanded the scope of my research in several ways.
- First, I have moved beyond cultural issues. Looking at food policy, agenda setting, and animal welfare, I am trying to show that religion influences legislative behavior in other domains, which suggests that its influence is vast—going well beyond the usual suspects.
- Second, I have adopted a broader conception of what it means to be an elite. Lately I have been studying clergy. While clergy provide political cues and facilitate mobilization, my collaborative work suggests that clergy are sensitive to parishioner and episcopal reaction to their political behavior.
- Finally, I have a keen interest in teaching and learning political science. I am especially interested in high impact teaching practices, such as team-based learning and longform simulations.
