October 2020

Amber Wichowsky
Department of Political Science, Marquette University
William Wehr Physics 468, P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Phone: 414.288.3422, Email: [email protected]

Academic Appointments
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Marquette University (August 2017- )
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Marquette University (2010-2017, started 2011)
Postdoctoral Associate, Center for the Study of American Politics, Yale University (2010-11)
Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Yale University (2010-11)

Education
Ph.D. Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2010
M.A. Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2006
M.A. Public Policy, University of Maryland-College Park, 2002
B.A. Allegheny College, 2000

Book
Condon, Meghan R., and Amber Wichowsky. 2020. The Economic Other: Inequality in the American
Political Imagination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Examines how social comparisons change perceptions of status and political attitudes, the contextual and
psychological factors that affect the types of social comparisons we make, and the implications for the
politics of inequality. (University of Chicago Press, August 2020).

Refereed Journal Articles

Kennelly, Patrick, Amber Wichowsky, Luke Knapp, Erin Wissler Gerdes, Jaqueline Schram, Jennifer
Byrne, Rana Altenburg, and Daniel Bergen. “The PARC Initiative: a multi-anchor approach to
community engagement and development.” Journal of Higher Education Outreach and
Engagement, Forthcoming.
Wichowsky, Amber, and Jessica Chen Weiss. “Getting Tough on China: Are Campaign Ads A Signal of
Future Policy or Just Cheap Talk?” Legislative Studies Quarterly, Forthcoming.
Condon, Meghan, and Amber Wichowsky, 2020. “Inequality in the Social Mind: Social Comparison and
Support for Redistribution” Journal of Politics 82(1): 149-161.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2019 “Civic Life in the Divided Metropolis: Social Capital, Collective Action and
Residential Income Segregation” Urban Affairs Review 55(1): 257-287.
Shah, Paru, and Amber Wichowsky. 2019. “Foreclosure’s Fallout: Economic Adversity and Voter
Turnout.” Political Behavior 41(4): 1099–1115.
Weiss, Jessica Chen, and Amber Wichowsky. 2018. “External Influence on Exchange Rates: US Pressure
and the Chinese RMB.” Review of International Political Economy 25(5): 596-623.
Condon, Meghan, and Amber Wichowsky. 2018. “Developing Citizen Scientists: Effects of an Inquiry-
based Science Curriculum on STEM and Civic Engagement” Elementary School Journal 119(2):
196-222.
Condon, Meghan, Alexandra Filindra, and Amber Wichowsky. 2016. “Immigrant Inclusion in the Safety
Net: A Framework for Analysis and Effects on Educational Attainment.” Policy Studies Journal.
44(4): 424-448. Selected for PSJ Virtual Special Issue on Racial Justice (July 2020). Received
honorable mention (runner-up) for the 2015 APSA Migration and Citizenship Best Paper Award.
 Additional pieces summarizing findings published on the London School of Economics (LSE) US
Centre blog and in the Washington Post’s Monkey Cage.
Condon, Meghan, and Amber Wichowsky. 2015. “Same Blueprint, Different Bricks: Reexamining the
Sources of the Gender Gap in Political Ideology.” Politics, Groups, and Identities. 3(1): 4-20.
[also published as a chapter in Gender and Political Psychology, Zoe Oxley (ed.), Routledge,
hardback published November 2015].

Dowling, Conor, and Amber Wichowsky. 2015. “Attacks Without Consequence: Candidates, Parties,
Groups, and the Changing Face of Negative Advertising,” American Journal of Political Science.
59(1): 19-36.
Burden, Barry C., and Amber Wichowsky. 2014. “Economic Discontent as a Mobilizer: Unemployment
and Voter Turnout.” Journal of Politics 76(4): 887-898.
Dowling, Conor, and Amber Wichowsky. 2013. “Does it Matter Who’s Behind the Curtain? Anonymity
in Political Advertising and the Effects of Campaign Finance Disclosure.” American Politics
Research 41(6): 965-996.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2012. “District Complexity and the Personal Vote.” Legislative Studies Quarterly
37(4): 437-464.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2012. “Competition, Party Dollars and Income Bias in Voter Turnout, 1980-2008.”
Journal of Politics 74(2): 446-459.
Wichowsky, Amber, and Sarah Niebler. 2010. “Narrow Victories and Hard Games: Revisiting the
Primary Divisiveness Hypothesis.” American Politics Research 38: 1052-1071.
Wichowsky, Amber, and Donald P. Moynihan. 2008. “Measuring How Administration Shapes
Citizenship: A Policy Feedback Perspective on Performance Management.” Public
Administration Review 68(5): 907-919. [Awarded the 2009 Joseph Wholey Scholarship
Performance Award by the American Society of Public Administration]
Soss, Joe, Meghan Condon, Matthew Holleque, and Amber Wichowsky. 2006. “The Illusion of
Technique: How Method-Driven Research Leads Welfare Scholarship Astray.” Social Science
Quarterly. 87(4): 798-807.

Book Chapters
Burden, Barry C., and Amber Wichowsky. 2010. “Local and National Forces in Congressional Elections”
in The Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior, ed. Jan E. Leighley.
Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 453-470.

Other Publications
Wichowsky, Amber. 2012. “What’s the fuss about ‘dark money’” Marquette Magazine. 30(4): 27-29.
Shafer, Byron E., and Amber Wichowsky. 2009. “Institutional Structure and Democratic Values: A
Research Note on a Natural Experiment.” The Forum 7(2).
Shafer, Byron E., and Amber Wichowsky. 2008. “The Nomination and the Election: Clearing Away
Underbrush.” The Forum 6(4).
Book Reviews
Wichowsky, Amber. 2019. Review of Taking Aim at Attack Advertising: Understanding the Impact of
Negative Campaigning in U.S. Senate Races by Kim L. Fridkin and Patrick J. Kenney.
Perspectives on Politics 17(4): 1199-1201.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2018. Review of Putting Inequality In Context: Class, Public Opinion, and
Representation in the United States by Christopher Ellis. Public Opinion Quarterly 82(4): 786-
790.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2010. Review of Congressional Representation and Constituents: The Case for
Increasing the U.S. House of Representatives by Brian Frederick. Election Law Journal, 9(3):
231-233.
Wichowsky, Amber. 2010. Review of Voting the Gender Gap edited by Lois Duke Whitaker. Journal of
Women, Politics & Policy, 31(1): 96-98.

Working Papers
“The Size and Structure of the Gender Gap in Economic Evaluations,” with Meghan Condon (in
preparation)
“Anxious MTurkers: High Levels of Economic Anxiety Among Contingent Survey Workers,” with
Meghan Condon (under review)
“The Promise of E-Gov? City Hall’s Responsiveness to Neighborhood Interests,” with Paru Shah and
Amanda Heideman, and Branden Dupont (revise and resubmit)
“Addressing racial and class inequalities through creative placemaking: does the promise fit the reality?”
with Jennifer Gaul-Stout and Jill Birren (in preparation)
“The Effects of Increased Campaign Finance Disclosure” with Conor Dowling
“The Political Implications of Childhood Inequality” with Meghan Condon

Grants
2020 APSA Research Partnerships on Critical Issues, with Jill Birren, Shion Guha, and Phil Rocco
($20,000)
2019 Way Klinger Sabbatical Fellowship, Marquette University ($10,000)
Mellon Fund Grant ($5,000), with Aleksandra Snowden, Shion Guha, Satish Puri, and Walter
MacDonald
2018 Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (sub-grantee, $25,737)
2017 Mellon Fund Grant ($5,000), with Aleksandra Snowden, Shion Guha, Satish Puri, and Walter
MacDonald
Strategic Innovation Fund grant, Marquette University, with Krassi Hristova (PI), Jill Birren and
Patrick McNamara ($150,000)
2015 Strategic Innovation Fund grant, Marquette University ($186,200)
Summer Faculty Fellowship, Marquette University ($5,500)
2014 American Political Science Association Small Research Grant ($330)
Way Klinger Young Scholar Award, Marquette University ($32,000)
Congressional Research Grant, Dirksen Congressional Center ($3,492)
Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences, Special Competition for Young Investigators,
National Science Foundation (estimated cost of survey $35,000)
2013 Jump Start Grant winner, Forward Thinking Poster Session/Colloquy, Marquette University
($2,000)
2011 Summer Faculty Fellowship, Marquette University ($5,500)
Regular Research Grant, Marquette University ($3,300)

Awards
2014 Faculty Excellence Award in Advising, Nominee
2011 Carl Albert Award for best dissertation in legislative studies, American Political Science
Association
2010 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for the Study of American Politics, Yale University
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, Princeton University
(declined)
Vilas travel award, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2009 Joseph Wholey Award for best publication on performance in public and nonprofit organizations,
American Society of Public Administration
APSA travel award, annual meeting of the American Political Science Association
2008 National Science Foundation travel support award, annual meeting of the Society for Political
Methodology
2007 Distinction, Preliminary Examination in American Politics
High Pass, Preliminary Examination in Political Methodology
2002 Pi Alpha Alpha
2001 Steny and Judy Hoyer Fellowship, University of Maryland
2000 Phi Beta Kappa

Invited Talks
2020 University of Mississippi
University at Buffalo (postponed due to COVID-19)
Notre Dame

2019 Chicago Area Behavior Workshop, Northwestern University

University of California, San Diego

2018 Harvard Kennedy School, The Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation (APSA
pre-conference)
University of Wisconsin-Madison

2017 Yale University, Center for the Study of American Politics, Annual Conference

2016 Dartmouth College (unable to attend, co-author presented paper)

2015 University of Oxford, Rothermere American Institute and Nuffield College

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Northwestern University
Barnard College, Columbia University
Florida State University

2014 Wesleyan University

University of Wisconsin-Madison

2012 Marquette University Law School

Loyola University
Yale University, MacMillan Center
University of Wisconsin-Madison

2011 Yale University, American Politics and Public Policy Workshop

Conference Presentations
2020 American Political Science Association, virtual

2019 American Political Science Association, Washington D.C.

Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago (cancelled due to COVID-19)

2018 Urban Affairs Association, Toronto

American Political Science Association, Boston
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Chicago

2017 Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

 Urban Affairs Association, Minneapolis
International Society for Political Psychology, Edinburgh, Scotland
American Political Science Association, San Francisco
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Denver

2016 Southern Political Science Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico (co-author presented)
Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago
American Political Science Association, Philadelphia (co-author presented)
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, Washington, DC

2015 American Political Science Association, San Francisco

Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2014 American Political Science Association, Washington, DC

Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2013 International Political Economy Society, Claremont Graduate School

American Political Science Association, Chicago

2012 American Political Science Association, New Orleans

Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2011 Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2010 Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2009 American Political Science Association, Washington, DC

The Society for Political Methodology, Yale University
Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago
Southern Political Science Association, New Orleans

2008 The Society for Political Methodology, University of Michigan

Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago

2007 Midwest Political Science Association

Teaching
Introduction to American Politics (traditional and online formats)
Politics of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender
Urban Politics
Urban Public Policy (undergraduate and graduate)
Elections, Public Opinion and Participation
Policy and Evaluation (graduate)
Women and Public Policy (graduate)
Independent Field Research in Political Science (undergraduate research methods)
Methods of Inquiry: Science, Politics, People (Marquette core curriculum)

Related Non-Academic Experience

Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget (2002-2005).

Activities and Service

Professional Service ASPA Robert A. Dahl Award Committee, 2020-2021
Executive Council, APSA Urban and Local Politics section, 2020-22
Midwest Political Science Association Program Committee.
Urban and Local Politics Section Program Chair, 2020
 American Political Science Association Program Committee.
Experimental Research Section Program Co-Chair, 2017.

Reviewer American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political

Science, Journal of Politics, British Journal of Political Science,
Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Behavior, American Politics
Research, Party Politics, Political Research Quarterly, Political
Psychology, Presidential Studies Quarterly, Public Administration
Review, Public Management Review, Public Opinion Quarterly, State
Politics & Policy Quarterly, Urban Affairs Review, Cambridge
University Press

Grant Reviewer Time-Sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences (TESS)

Member American Political Science Association, Midwest Political Science

Association, Class and Inequality, Experimental Research, Political
Psychology and Urban and Local Politics organized sections of the
APSA

Editorial Service Research & Politics, Associate Editor

The Forum, Editorial Board Member

University Service University Academic Senate (Faculty elected at large, Arts & Sciences;
also elected to UAS Executive Committee), 2020-
Faculty Mentor, MU4Gold program, 2020-
Steering Committee, Marquette Forum, 2018-2019
University Strategic Plan Team, Culture of Inclusion, 2018-
Search Committee, Harry G. John Professor of Urban Studies and
Director, CURTO, 2015-2017
Interim Director, Urban Affairs Interdisciplinary Minor, 2015-2017
Faculty Mentor, Honors Summer Research Program, 2015, 2020
Faculty Advisor, McNair Scholars Program, 2014, 2017, 2018
Faculty Representative, Truman Scholar Program, 2011-2014

Departmental Service Director of Undergraduate Studies, 2020-

Assistant Chair, 2020-
Graduate Director, Public Service Master’s Program, 2018-2019
Graduate Admissions Committee, 2011-2019
Programming Committee, 2011-2019
Search Committee, Fall 2013, Fall 2015, Fall 2020
Internship Coordinator, 2011-2012, 2017-2018

Occasional source for media coverage of politics, including New York Times, Boston Globe, CNN, Fox
News, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, NPR, PBS, WPR, WUWM, WisEye, TMJ-4, WISN-12,
WTMJ (620 AM), WMAQ (Chicago), Toronto Star and the 4th Street Forum (Milwaukee).