Politics, Institutions, and Public Policy: Institute for Policy Research

This broad multidisciplinary program traces how social, political, and institutional dynamics shape and constrain national policymaking in the United States and in comparison with other countries. Experts in political identity, public opinion, inequality, political parties, media, gender, and many others come together to debate and study political processes and institutions and their participants.

A Message From Rachel Davis Mersey, Program Chair

From ongoing gridlock in Washington to increasingly polarized media coverage, political institutions have faced a variety of challenges over the past few years. IPR faculty continue to examine key aspects of the ways in which social, political, and institutional dynamics shape and constrain national policymaking in the United States. Researchers analyze the role of government, policymakers, public opinion, and the media, among others.

Working Papers

Recently published articles and working papers in this program area include:

Seema Jayachandran. 2020. Microentrepreneurship in Developing Countries (WP-20-03).

Seema Jayachandran. 2019. Social Norms as a Barrier to Women's Employment in Developing Countries (WP-19-31).

Maya Rossin-Slater, Molly Schnell, Hannes Schwandt, Sam Trejo, and Lindsey Uniat. 2019. Local Exposure to School Shootings and Youth Antidepressant Use (WP-19-30).

All Papers

Faculty Experts

Representing the fields of political science, economics, social policy, psychology, and sociology, faculty delve into the worlds of politics, institutions, and policymaking.

2020

Chicago Area Behavior Workshop

Faculty organizer: James Druckman with Barry Burden, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Yoshi Ono, Tohoku University;
Cindy Kam, Vanderbilt University; Mary McGrath, Northwestern University; Mara Ostfeld, University of Michigan

Registration to be announced soon.

Sponsored by: The 2019 Chicago Area Behavior Workshop is sponsored by Northwestern’s Political Science Department, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel.

INSTITUTE FOR POLICY RESEARCH