Samara Klar, Ph.D.
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I am a Professor of Political Science at the University of Arizona School of Government and Public Policy. I am a Melody S. Robidoux Foundation Fund Professor and a co-Coordinator of the Arizona Policy Lab.

I study how individuals’ personal identities and social surroundings influence their political attitudes and behavior. Most often, I use experimental methods (in and outside the lab), surveys, and other statistical tools. I received my PhD in Political Science from Northwestern University and also hold degrees in political science from Columbia University and McGill University.

My book, Independent Politics (co-authored with Yanna Krupnikov), was published by Cambridge University Press in 2016. In it, we examine why so many Americans refrain from identifying with a party label and what the broader consequences are for American politics. This book has been recognized with 3 different national book awards from the American Political Science Association, including the Philip E. Converse Award, the Robert E. Lane Award, and the Best Book in Experimental Political Science.

My published research appears in lots of peer-reviewed journals, including the American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, Science, Nature Human Behavior and many others. This work has received many different awards from the American Political Science Association, the Midwest Political Science Association, and the American Association for Public Opinion Research. My research is supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, Time-sharing Experiments for the Social Sciences, the Social Science Research Council, and other organizations.

I  love opportunities to share my work with media and non-academic audiences and I frequently speak to the press about current events related to my areas of expertise. I have written about my research in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and for CNN.com. I’ve also worked as an expert consultant on matters relating to polling, political behavior, and campaigns.

In 2016, I started the website WomenAlsoKnowStuff to promote women in political science. The site now features over 2,000 women in political science who are all experts in what they do and has since inspired spin-off sites across different disciplines and countries all over the world.

At UA, I teach all sorts of things, including public opinion, research design, political decision-making, and experimental methods to both undergraduate and PhD students. I spend my off-campus time hanging out with my husband and three little kids, walking our two dogs, and feeding all the fish who live in the pond in our backyard.

Please feel free to get in touch with me to chat about my work or your work, as I am always very happy to share my ongoing research and to offer feedback to others on theirs.

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