About my work

I work as an Assistant Professor in the University of Michigan political science department. In my research, I try to learn about three aspects of politics. The more we understand about politics, the better people can harness its potential to improve lives.

First, I want to understand how the things that politicians say, and just as importantly how they are said, affect the way the public thinks about politics. More specifically, I want to know how and why those patterns of communication differ from one country to another. I am especially interested in the role that political institutions play in shaping the process, whether the institution is directly structuring the communication channels (as in parliamentary question times) or is only influencing the incentives that politicians face when designing their advertising material.

My second focus is on the electoral politics of my native part of the world. My primary interest is in New Zealand politics, but I also examine issues in Australian politics and in the politics of the south Pacific islands.

Last, I have a developing interest in comparative questions of political economy.

In earlier years I have published papers about gender representation, and about opinion polling.