My research can be separated into three separate but related agendas: (1) campaign spending in US elections; (2) the politics of position taking in the U.S. Congress; and (3) minority representation in Congress. They are connected by one common theme: the nature of representation. Money in politics relates to who is represented and why. The topic has taken on added significance as election costs skyrocket following the Supreme Court’s landmark 2010 Citizens United ruling. Position taking—whether it is through roll call voting, speeches or bill sponsorship—is the most important way members of Congress provide representation to their constituents. And few questions are as timely and relevant in American politics as the value of descriptive representation. The demand for and importance of research on descriptive representation in Congress will only increase as America becomes more diverse, and as more minorities and women are elected into political office..
