Jennifer Wolak

By: Jennifer Wolak University of Colorado Boulder, David A.M. Peterson Iowa State University Published 21 April 2020 Abstract: The American Dream is central to the national ethos, reflecting people's optimism that all who are willing to work hard can achieve a better life than their parents. Separate from the support...

By: William P. Jaeger Colorado Children's Campaign, Jeffrey Lyons Boise State University, Jennifer Wolak University of Colorado Boulder Published: July 10, 2016 Abstract: Political knowledge is central to the success of representative democracy. However, public policy has been shown to follow public opinion even despite low levels of political information...

By: Jennifer Wolak University of Colorado Boulder Published: 20 July 2017 Abstract: What makes people feel influential in politics? While prior studies describe political efficacy as a stable and socialized trait, I argue that feelings of effectiveness in politics follow from the actions of politicians and the design of government...

By: Jennifer Wolak, University of Colorado Boulder Published: 26 February 2019 Abstract: When women are represented on the campaign trail and in elected office, women in the electorate have been shown to report greater engagement in politics. However, most evidence of the effects of descriptive representation on women's empowerment is...

By: Stephani Langehennig, Joseph Zamadics, Jennifer Wolak, University of Colorado Boulder Published: 13 Janurary 2019 Abstract: Does the public’s approval of their state legislature reflect their satisfaction with the outputs of state government? Using survey responses from the 2014 Cooperative Congressional Election Study, we consider the roots of public approval...

By: Jennifer Wolak, University of Colorado Boulder Published: 09 June 2019 Abstract: Political knowledge is an incredible political resource for citizens, promoting informed voter decision-making and helping citizens hold their elected officials accountable. But it is a resource that is not equitably distributed in the electorate, as blacks, Latinos, and...

By: Jennifer Wolak, University of Colorado Boulder Published: 21 May 2019 Abstract: Why do young people choose to identify with a political party? While existing accounts emphasize the importance of political socialization, we propose that young people’s self-perceptions also influence the adoption of partisan identities. Using survey data from the...

By: Jennifer Wolak, University of Colorado Boulder Published: 12 May 2019 Read More Here: https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1086/708644

Wolak, J. Polit Behav (2018) 40: 763. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-017-9421-9 Abstract: What makes people feel influential in politics? While prior studies describe political efficacy as a stable and socialized trait, I argue that feelings of effectiveness in politics follow from the actions of politicians and the design of government. When state governments...

Professor Jennifer Wolak just published an article in The Political Behavior. It can be found here.