My research, writing, teaching and public sector work focus on civic engagement and democratic governance. This is the topic of my book Inside Congressional Committees: Function and Dysfunction in the Legislative Process (Columbia University Press, 2023.)

My forthcoming book “Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress” will be published by Johns Hopkins University Press in Winter 2026.

I lead research for the elections and government program at the NYU Brennan Center for Justice. My work at the center focuses on legislative reform, information and misinformation in politics, money in politics, and civic engagement. The research informs the advocacy of the center.

I have also taught graduate and undergraduate politics courses on a variety of topics at NYU, Georgetown, Oxford, and American University.

Over the course of my career, I have worked on democratic governance issues at non-profits, international development organizations, and think tanks, including positions at NYU’s Govlab, Public Agenda, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the UNDP. I am lead author and lead researcher of the 2022 Global Parliamentary Report: Public Engagement in the Work of Parliaments, a joint project of the United Nations Development Program and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

My commentary has appeared in the Washington Post, NPR, BBC, Scientific American, Newsweek, CSPAN, the Hill, Slate and my work has been cited in the New York Times, Bloomberg, The Saturday Evening Post, Ms. Magazine and other outlets. I hold a PhD in politics from Oxford University, an MPA from Columbia University, and a BA from Stanford University.