Jennifer A. Heerwig

Associate Professor and Interim Chair

Ph.D. 2013, NYU

Areas of Interest

My current research projects examine the political contributions of American corporate elites and the effects of new public financing initiatives on representation in local elections.

Bio

My work uses innovative data sources and econometric methods to examine the American campaign finance system and political inequality more broadly. I'm particularly interested in how individual donors allocate their monetary contributions in national elections and what these patterns tell us about how donor motivations have changed over time. My work has been funded by the National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation.

Selected Publications

Book:

Heerwig, Jennifer A. and Brian J. McCabe. 2024. Democracy Vouchers and the Promise of Fairer Elections in Seattle. 2024. Political Lessons from American Cities series (edited by Richardson Dilworth), Temple University Press.

Articles:

Zhang, Yongjun and Jennifer A. Heerwig. Forthcoming. “Gender, Race, and Intersectionality in the Political Donations of America’s Corporate Elite.” The Sociological Quarterly.

Herrnson, Paul, Jay Goodliffe, Douglas Spencer and Jennifer A. Heerwig. 2023. “The Impact of Associational Ties on the Financing of Super PACs.” Interest Groups & Advocacy.

Zhang, Yongjun and Jennifer A. Heerwig. 2022. “Gender, Race, and Intersectionality in Campaign Cash to the U.S. Congress, 1990 to 2014.” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World.

McCabe, Brian J. and Jennifer A. Heerwig. 2019. “Diversifying the Donor Pool: Did Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program Help Reshape Participation in Municipal Campaign Finance?”Election Law Journal 18(4): 323-341.

Heerwig, Jennifer A. and Brian J. McCabe. Forthcoming 2020. "High-Dollar Donors and Donor-Rich Neighborhoods. Representational Distortion in Financing a Municipal Election in Seattle." Urban Affairs Review.