Elisa Wirsching

My research focuses on American political institutions, bureaucratic politics, local government, and political methodology. My current work explores how incentives and selection in bureaucracies affect public policy and accountability. I approach these issues by examining strategic interactions among politicians, bureaucrats, and voters, and their impact on public service provision, regulatory policy, and the representativeness of government. My work leverages a range of research designs and data sources, including causal inference methods for observational data, text analysis, administrative records, spatial data, and game theory.

• Bureaucratic incentives and public service delivery
• Local government institutions and accountability
• Bureaucratic selection and career incentives in public administration
• Interest groups and lobbying
• Police behaviour and influence

• GV4E9: Approaches and Issues in Public Policy and Administration