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Tali Mendelberg

John Work Garrett Professor of Politics, Princeton University

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About Tali

Mendelberg studies inequality and politics. Her areas of specialization are political communication, gender, race, class, public opinion, political psychology, and experimental methods.

Contributions

How Affluent College Campuses Encourage Support for Conservative Economic Policies

  • Katherine T. McCabe
  • Adam Thal

In the News

Tali Mendelberg quoted on the gendered dimensions of public speech by Colleen Walsh, "Jhumpa Lahiri’s View: Citizenship and Gender in the 21st Century" India New England News, April 13, 2018.
Tali Mendelberg's research on norms around racial equality discussed by Emily Bader, "The Showdown over How We Define Fringe Views in America," New York Times, August 21, 2017.
"Why Women Need More than a Seat at the Table," Tali Mendelberg (with Chris Karpowitz), CNN, June 16, 2017.
Tali Mendelberg's research on comparing how frequently men and women talk at meetings discussed by Mike Isaac and Susan Chira, "David Bonderman Resigns From Uber Board After Sexist Remark," New York Times, June 13, 2017.
Tali Mendelberg quoted on the politics of racial resentment by Dylan Matthews, "Donald Trump Has Every Reason to Keep White People Thinking about Race" Vox, November 30, 2016.
Tali Mendelberg's research on campus affluence and political leaning discussed by Phil Demers, "No Evidence Colleges Make Students Liberal, Researcher Says," Mass Live, October 18, 2016.
Alan E. Wiseman quoted on women in office by Matthew Yglesias, "A Hillary Clinton Presidency Will Greatly Boost Women's Representation in Politics, with Big Policy Consequences" Vox, June 6, 2016.
Tali Mendelberg quoted on gender differences in workplace meetings by Veronica Rueckert, "Veronica Rueckert: Women are Still Finding their Voice" Wisconsin State Journal, November 1, 2015.
Tali Mendelberg quoted on gender differences in the workplace by John Sides, "What Would Change If There Were More Women in Congress? More than You Think" The Washington Post, March 7, 2015.
"Is an Old Boys’ Club Always Sexist?," Tali Mendelberg (with Christopher Karpowitz), The Washington Post, October 23, 2014.
"Obama Cares: Look at the Numbers," Tali Mendelberg (with Bennett Butler), New York Times, August 21, 2014.
"More Women, but Not Nearly Enough," Tali Mendelberg (with Christopher Karpowitz), New York Times, November 8, 2012.

Publications

"College Socialization and the Economic Views of Affluent Americans" (with Adam Thal and Katherine McCabe). American Journal of Political Science (forthcoming).

Develops tests and finds support for a theory of class cultural norms. Argues that these preferences are partly traceable to socialization that occurs on predominately affluent college campuses, especially those with norms of financial gain, and especially among socially embedded students. Implements a large panel dataset with a high response rate and more rigorous causal inference strategies than previous socialization studies. Argues that college socialization partly explains why affluent Americans support economically conservative policies. 

"The Silent Sex: Gender, Deliberation and Institutions" (with Christopher Karpowitz) (Princeton University Press, 2014).

Argues that these efforts to increase and improve the representation of women will often fall short unless they also address institutional rules that impede women's voices. Delineates that the wrong institutional rules can exacerbate women's deficit of authority and that the right rules can elevate women's authority. Discusses how these rules increase women's participation, establish more cooperative norms of group behavior, and can have important consequences for the descriptive and substantive representation of women and their interests. 

"The Race Card" (Princeton University Press, 2001).

Examines how and when politicians play the race card and then manage to plausibly deny doing so. Discusses how George Bush's used the Willie Horton story during the1988 presidential campaign and how politicians routinely evoke racial stereotypes, fears, and resentments without voters' awareness.