JOB MARKET PAPER

Legislative Performance and Presidential Elections 

Abstract: Does co-partisanship between legislative and presidential candidates impact presidential elections? This study explores the relationship between the performance of local legislators and voters' choices for the presidential candidate in Africa. While retrospective voting has been extensively studied in elections across the continent, the focus has primarily been on national-level performance, with local performance often overlooked. However, given the limited capacity of the state to provide public goods at the national level, local governments play a crucial role in filling this gap and delivering essential services that directly impact voters' daily lives. Drawing on data from the Afrobarometer survey Round 7 conducted in Ghana, the findings indicate that when legislative candidates perform well, voters are more likely to favor a presidential candidate from the same political party.  This finding suggests that voters prioritize the immediate impact of their representatives' performance on their own communities over broader national policies that may have limited direct effects on their daily lives. Overall, this study emphasizes the significance of local-level performance and accountability in shaping voting behavior and democratic outcomes in African countries.

SELECTED PUBLISHED PAPERS

Transformative Pathways: Implementing Intercultural Competence Development in Higher Education Using Kotter’s Change Model   - with Sakhi Aggrawal, Aparajita Jaiswal, Roland J. Smith & Pamala V. Morris[Education Sciences ]

Abstract: This study explores the efficacy of Kotter’s eight-step change model in fostering intercultural competence among faculty and staff within a large Midwestern public university. Recognizing the need for intercultural development in higher education, this research applies a structured change framework coupled with the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment tool to guide the change process. The development of intercultural competence among faculty and staff is crucial for creating inclusive learning environments, as they play a pivotal role in modeling intercultural competence and fostering students’ skills necessary to navigate an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. This study employs an instrumental case study design, utilizing interviews, document analysis, and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessments to examine the change process over a three-year period. The findings demonstrate how each step of Kotter’s model was successfully adapted to drive organizational change and enhance intercultural competence among 639 faculty and staff members across 11 departments in the College of Agriculture. This study highlights the importance of creating a shared vision, empowering stakeholders, and anchoring changes in the institution’s culture and emphasizes the pivotal role of structured change management in achieving substantive improvements in intercultural learning environments. The insights and strategies presented can serve as a foundation for other higher education institutions seeking to implement similar initiatives and foster inclusive learning environments.

Undergraduates and Political Science Research: Insights from Research Assistants in a Minority-Serving Institution Lab   - with Zabdi Velasquez, Jasmine Esmail...& Kim Yi Dionne[Political Science and Politics ]

Abstract: This study examines undergraduate research experiences at a minority-serving institution (MSI) in a political science laboratory. Students contributed to projects in a collaborative research lab at the University of California Riverside that involves undergraduate and graduate students in projects related to health and politics. Adopting a participatory approach to research, the study’s research participants also are coauthors who co-created the research protocols; collected the data; transcribed, coded, and analyzed the data; and wrote up the findings. Our analysis of 12 in-depth interviews with current and former undergraduate research assistants (RAs) found that their work in the lab challenged their perceptions of what research is and what it means to do research; shaped their path to pursue graduate studies; developed their social and professional skills; and offered an inclusive and humanizing experience with graduate students and faculty members. Challenges that the RAs mentioned included time management, bureaucratic accounting and payroll procedures, and feelings of self-doubt; the lab’s culture of inclusion and independence mitigated some of these challenges. Our findings align with the scholarly literature that suggests collaborative research opportunities can have beneficial outcomes, particularly for students from groups that are underrepresented in doctoral programs.