Eric Hansen
Assistant Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago
Chapter Member: Chicagoland SSN
Areas of Expertise:
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About Eric
Hansen's research focuses on representation and policymaking in state legislatures and Congress, particularly on how legislators’ personal characteristics and their perceptions of voter opinion inform their choices in office.
Contributions
In the News
Quoted by Nathan Collins in "Few Blue-Collar Americans Hold Office, and the Reason is Not Low Pay," Pacific Standard, January 5, 2017.
Publications
"The Symbolic and Substantive Representation of LGB Americans in the U.S. House" (with ). Journal of Politics 77, no. 4 (2015): 955-967.
Provides evidence that members of Congress vote on gay rights legislation according to public opinion in their districts, but introduce such legislation only when they identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual or represent a large number of LGB constituents.
"Does Paying Politicians More Promote Economic Diversity in Legislatures?," (with ), Midwest Political Science Association, April 2015.
Argues that paying higher salaries to elected officials encourages more white-collar professionals, rather than more blue-collar workers, to run for office.