Kristin Kanthak

I am an associate professor of political science at the University of Pittsburgh.

My research focuses on the effects on political representation of exogenous constraints such as political institutions. Most casual observers of politics either ignore or underestimate the importance of these constraints in determining the translation of political actors’ preferences into actual policy outcomes. They think, instead, that if only politicians were sincere agents for their constituents, the views of constituents would seamlessly translate to the correct policy outcomes. But the real story is much more complex, and one that requires the careful consideration of the effects of these constraints in order to better understand the pathologies of representation that are inherent in any political system.