Meet our Faculty Affiliate: Michael Minta The Center for Effective Lawmaking recently sat down with faculty affiliate Professor Michael Minta, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, to discuss his research and his partnership with the CEL. Professor Minta’s research focuses on American politics, race and ethnicity in US politics, and representation of underrepresented groups in Congress. Most recently, Professor Minta has also been researching interest groups and how they react to private funding. When asked how he came to study political science, Professor Minta explains…

Meet Our New Post-Doctoral Affiliate: Erinn Lauterbach The Center for Effective Lawmaking is excited to introduce our newest post-doctoral fellow, Erinn Lauterbach. Erinn received her bachelor’s in political science and psychology from Central College, and her master’s and PhD from the University of California, Riverside. Hailing from Iowa, Erinn has always been a “political junkie.” Her interest in political science was solidified when she had the opportunity to study abroad in London, serving as an intern for a member of the British Parliament. Erinn was fascinated by the differences in…

Meet our Faculty Affiliate: Molly Reynolds Molly Reynolds has been a senior fellow in Governance Studies at Brookings since earning her PhD in political science and public policy from the University of Michigan in 2015. As a senior fellow at the prestigious think tank, Reynolds seeks to use political science research to: “provide insight and help the broader public understand complex, current political events”. Currently, she studies Congress, with an emphasis on how congressional rules and procedure affect domestic policy outcomes.One way Reynolds attempts to broaden public understanding is through…