Elizabeth Suhay, Ph.D.

suhay@american.edu

American University

Country: United States (District of Columbia)

About Me:

I specialize in the study of public opinion, political psychology, and political communication, all within the U.S. context. I am the author of over twenty scholarly articles and other works, with my research appearing in The American Journal of Political SciencePublic Opinion QuarterlyPolitical Behavior, and The Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics, among other journals. I am the co-editor, with James N. Druckman, of the 2015 issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, "The Politics of Science." I am also co-editing, with Bernie Grofman and Alex Trechsel, the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Electoral Persuasion. My current research agenda is divided between two topic areas: (1) The first is the relationship between Americans’ political preferences and their explanations for social inequality, particularly explanations that invoke biology and genetics. I received a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation in 2016 to support survey & experimental research on this topic, which will culminate in a book manuscript, How Americans Explain Inequality, and Why It Matters. (2) My newest research stream rests at the intersection of politics and scientific knowledge. I am interested in why certain topics, such as climate change, have become so politicized in recent years and how scientists, science communicators, and policymakers can work together to ensure quality science informs the policymaking process. I recently received funding from the National Academy of Sciences for the project, Evidence-Based Science Communication with Policymakers, a collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I received my B.A. (History and Political Science, High Honors) and Ph.D. (Political Science) from The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Research Interests

Public Opinion

Political Psychology

Political Communication

Research Methods & Research Design

Race, Ethnicity and Politics

Class, Inequality, and Labor Politics

Explanations For Inequality

Politicization Of Science

Politically Motivated Reasoning