Jennifer Merolla

Jennifer Merolla is the Mary Toepelt  Nicolai – George Blair Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Policy.  She received her B.A. from Boston College in 1997 and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Duke University in 2003. She teaches courses in the areas of American Politics and Methodology.

Her research focuses on the interaction of elites and the public, from the supply of elite messages, to the effectiveness of these messages on the public. The overriding goal of her research is to understand whether the provision of cues by elites and the reception of them, or lack thereof, by the public enhances the quality of representation be it in terms of policies passed or through the candidates that are elected to office.