Elisabeth R. Gerber

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Jack L. Walker Jr. Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy; Research Associate, Center for Political Studies. Research examines how political institutions mediate the connection between voters and their government. Leading scholar on the political consequences of the initiative and referendum process. Work demonstrates how direct democracy can help voters bring policy outcomes into closer alignment with their preferences and identifies the conditions under which these effects are realized. Research on the effects of primary elections provided the foundation for several successful political reform movements in Washington State and California that sought to open primary elections to voters of all political parties. Other major contributions focus on regional governance and examine how local governments can cooperate to address policy challenges that cut across political boundaries. Studied, in particular, various institutions designed to tackle policy challenges on a regional scale and identified the conditions under which these institutions succeed.