BOOK PROJECT

Cambridge Elements in Political Economy: Lotteries in Democracy (with Brenda van Coppenolle). Under advance contract.

Incorporating elements of randomization in political selection has long been a part of the democratic tradition, but the use of randomly assigned groups — in the form of deliberative assemblies, committees, or parliaments — is increasingly being advocated to “fix” democracy today. Our book looks at the conditions under which lotteries can be used to improve democratic participation, representation, and policymaking, by analyzing micro-level empirical evidence on the use of lotteries and citizens’ assemblies in historical cases (from ancient Greece to modern Europe), to help inform recent policy calls. The book also provides new insight into the specific implementation details — often overlooked in policy calls — of sortition, including screening and auditing, that directly impact policymaking outcomes. By providing actionable recommendations on implementation, the book seeks to better understand the design and practice of lottery-based procedures in modern democratic governance.

PUBLICATIONS (by TOPIC; see CV for Full LIST)

Political Lotteries and Democracy

BOOK: Cambridge Elements in Political Economy: Lotteries in Democracy (with Brenda van Coppenolle). Under advance contract.

Bridging the Gap: Lottery-based Procedures in Early Democratization. 2019, World Politics

• Honorable Mention for the APSA Mary Parker Follett prize for Best Article in Politics and History, 2020

Cabinet, Committees and Careers: The Causal Effect of Committee Service (with Brenda Van Coppenolle). 2018, The Journal of Politics

When Democracy is Broken, Roll the Dice: Lotteries in Political Selection. APSA Comparative Politics Newsletter, Fall 2019, Volume XXIX, Issue 2.

In progress:

Citizens’ Assemblies and Polarization

Deliberative Democracy in the French Constituent Assembly (with Brenda van Coppenolle)

Historical Political Economy

“Approaching Historical Data Collection with Causal Inference in Mind,” 2024, chapter in Causal Inference and American Political Development: New Frontiers, Springer.

“Data in Historical Political Economy,” 2023, chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Political Economy, edited by Jeff Jenkins and Jared Rubin, Oxford University Press

Historical Persistence (with Tom Pepinsky). 2022, Annual Review of Political Science (ARPS)

Turning History into Data: Data Collection, Measurement, and Inference in HPE (with Arthur Spirling). 2021, Journal of Historical Political Economy

“Historical Political Economy of Parliaments,” Chapter in Handbook of Parliamentary Studies: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Legislatures, edited by Oliver Rosenberg and Cyril Benoît, Edward Elgar Publishing: Paris, 2020

In progress:

Second Book Project: Turning History into Data: Collecting Historical Data for Quantitative Analysis 

From Ink to Iron: Malleus Maleficarum and Witchcraft Trials in Poland (with Frances Cayton)

Economic Persecution of Women in Witchcraft Trials (with Frances Cayton and Greta Schenke)

When Women Win: Land Lotteries and Civic Participation in Georgia (with Harry Dienes and Aaron Childree)

Political Selection

Seniority-based Nominations and Political Careers (with Jon Fiva and Gary Cox). 2021, American Political Science Review

• Winner of the 2022 APSA Jack Walker Best Journal Article prize for best paper on political organizations and parties

Taking a Closer Look at Organized Interests in the EU.  Perspectives on Europe. 2012. Volume 42: 2.

“Politics as a Male Domain and Empowerment in India." (with Rohini Pande and Lori Beaman). Chapter in The Impact of Gender Quotas (2012), edited by Franceschet, Krook, Piscopo. Oxford University Press.

In progress:

Gender Gaps in Seniority Systems (with Jon Fiva, Gary Cox, Dawn Teele, and Dan Smith). Revise and Resubmit at the APSR.

Political Dynasties in the European Union

Social Media, Data Science, and Democracy

Is Democracy Broken? Social Media Wants You To Think it Is, 2023, chapter in upcoming edited volume on Democratic Backsliding, edited by Ken Roberts and Rachel Beatty-Riedl

Asymmetric Flooding as a Tool for Foreign Influence on Social Media (with Will Hobbs). 2023, Political Science Research and Methods

How to Save Democracy, 2021, Review Essay, The Journal of Politics

In progress:

Moderating Social Media: Misinformation Exposure and the Weibo Jury Community (with Andy Zhao)

Deliberate Data Science: Understanding the Supply and Demand for Data Science Courses