Sarah Virginia Hayes
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About Sarah
Haye’s work falls under American politics, broadly focusing on the intersection of identity politics, mass political behavior, and public policy. In her dissertation, Hayes investigates how marginalized groups, particularly women, engage with social safety net programs; revealing how lived experiences reshape conventional theories of policy feedback and public opinion. Through a mixed methods approach (surveys, experiments, focus groups) and intersectional theoretical frameworks, her research agenda challenges assumptions about representation and political responsiveness.
Contributions
Harnessing the Electoral Power of Black Joy
Publications
Examines how celebratory, community-focused voter mobilization campaigns led by Black-led organizations have successfully increased Black voter turnout. Argues that Black Americans vote as a celebration of community, and that cultivating that sense of community is an effective means of increasing Black voter turnout.
Examines caregiving experiences and attitudes toward caregiving policies, taking into consideration how intersecting identities shape the perspectives of caregivers. Finds that communities of color, especially women of color, experienced pandemic caregiving pressures differently than their White counterparts.