• Dissertation: Identity, Civic Duty and Electoral Participation
• Committee:
• Major Fields: Comparative Politics
• Ph.D. 2018

• Adjunct Professorial Lecturer, Department of Government, , Washington D.C.

   

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Wolak, J. Polit Behav (2018) 40: 763. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-017-9421-9

Abstract: 

What makes people feel influential in politics? While prior studies describe political efficacy as a stable and socialized trait, I argue that feelings of effectiveness in politics follow from the actions of politicians and the design of government. When state governments afford citizens opportunities for voice and deliver desired policy outcomes, I expect that citizens feel more politically effective. Using a set of unique items from the 2014 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, I investigate how factors like policy congruence, descriptive representation, election administration, and ballot initiatives shape people’s feelings that politicians are responsive to their concerns. I find that people feel more efficacious in state politics when they have greater opportunities for political voice and when their concerns are reflected in the policy process.

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• Dissertation: Are Good Intentions Enough? Public Attitudes, Gender Equality, & Women's Political Parties
• Committee: Carew Boulding (chair), Andy Baker, Lorraine Bayard de Volo, David Brown, and Stefani Mollborn
• Major Fields: Comparative Politics, International Relations, & Methods
• Ph.D. 2018

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• Dissertation: Another Pathway to Foreign Direct Investment: Diaspora Engagement Policy
• Committee: David Bearce (chair), Andy Baker, Adrian Shin, Moonhawk Kim, and Jinhyuk Kim
• Major Fields: International Relations, Comparative Politics
• Ph.D. 2018

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