Faculty Member, Political Science
About
My field is comparative politics, U.S. and Europe. I was an undergraduate German major but switched to political science in graduate school (University of California, San Diego). I'm most interested in the ways in which lay citizens can participate in issue areas with high technical content. I have written on German energy policy and German, U.S., and British land use policy. Grassroots protest not only helped shape German energy policy, it also undermined the legitimacy of technocratic policy making. Protest has become part of the normal policy process in Germany.
My current work has to do with collaborative institutions for regional land use policy making. While collaboration promises greater citizen access, I am finding that it tends systematically to marginalize environmental and anti-sprawl interests.
My courses include introductory comparative politics, environmental politics, technology and politics, comparative public policy, comparative social movements, Germany and its neighbors, and European politics.
I am also interested in new media and their impact on grassroots organizing.
Contact Information
| Address: | Political Science Department |
