Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 04/06/2026Nerd achievement unlocked. ✅ Growing up watching The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, being interviewed on the PBS NewsHour last night was a pinch-me moment. We discussed Congress's history with members missing votes — and my research on abstention. (Not everything made the cut — but my cameo survived.)pbs.orgRepublican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.'s absence raises broader questions about CongressPrimary voters in New Jersey on Tuesday finalized the race for one of the nation’s most competitive seats, and one of the most unusual, because the incumbent Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has not been ... 4305
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Rather than long-serving and powerful elected officials diverting attention from constituents, their increased capacity enables them to maintain levels of constituency service, even as they prioritize policy work. 000
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026We find that legislators prioritize policy work as they gain institutional power, but simultaneously maintain their levels of constituency service. Moreover, when a new legislator replaces an experienced legislator, the district receives less constituency service AND less policy work. 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026We assembled a massive new database of over 600k legislator requests to a near census of federal departments, agencies & subagencies between 2007 and 2020. 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026In the paper we examine when elected officials gain power, do they use it to provide more constituent service or to affect policy? To answer the question we worked for nearly a decade (!) to collect data from Federal Agencies about every time Members of Congress (or their staff) contact them. 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Thrilled to share that my paper with @judgelord.bsky.social and Justin Grimmer:"How shifting priorities and capacity affect policy work and constituency service: Evidence from a census of legislator requests to U.S. federal agencies" is out at the AJPS!onlinelibrary.wiley.comAmerican Journal of Political Science | MPSA Journal | Wiley Online LibraryWhen elected officials gain power, do they use it to provide more constituent service or affect policy? The answer informs debates over how legislator capacity, term limits, and institutional positio.... 1165
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Looking for a post-doc? The University of Wisconsin-Madison just announced a Pluralism Postdoctoral Fellows Program! 2 year post-doc. Deadline March 30, 2026. Seeking scholars who: contribute intellectual diversity, examine pluralism & civic engagement, bridge differences & advance civil discourse.wisconsinexchange.wisc.eduWisconsin Exchange Postdoctoral Fellows ProgramThe Pluralism Postdoctoral Fellows Program was created as part of the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Wisconsin Exchange: Pluralism in Practice initiative. The program is designed to cultivate a coh... 030
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 23/07/2025I'm in the process of designing UW-Madison's first field seminar in American politics for Ph.D. students! Yes... we're late to the party, but, hey, we're here now! Anyone have example syllabi or suggestions of topics/readings to include? Requisite cute Fletcher photo for 👀. 230
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 18/04/2025Thank you! I really appreciate the suggestion and will pass it on to my students. This is a great alternative until the census tool is ... whatever it will be. FWIW, the census tool seems to be mostly back up and running, but a handful of districts still produce an error. 000
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 17/04/2025That is a baffling twist. Completely agree that at this stage too early to know whether it's a temporary error or deliberate removal. 000
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Were you actually able to retrieve data? For me the website appears to be functional, but it is when I actually select a congressional district and try to access the data that I receive the error message. 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 17/04/2025Welp, the US Census's My Congressional District Tool appears to be down. My Congress class was able to look up demographic info about their districts this morning. If you try to retrieve info now it says "The data you requested is not currently available." www.census.gov/mycdcensus.gov 121
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 04/12/2024Looking for a great RA for the 2025-2026 academic year? I know a smart senior double-majoring in Political Science & Data Science who wants to RA for a year before starting her Ph.D. She python and R skills & interested in American & Comparative -- Elections, Voting Behavior & Political Parties! 031
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024. @pollsandvotes.bsky.social: The Marquette Law School poll of registered voters in Wisconsin shows a time series of party identification over time. Showing a modest but growing Republican advantage over the last year. 050
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024.@pollsandvotes.bsky.social: Marquette Law School Poll has consistently asked registered Wisconsin voters about their family situation. Striking decline in WI voters reporting that they are living comfortably since late 2020. 021
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024.@pollsandvotes.bsky.social: Striking decline in majority Latino wards in Wisconsin for D presidential candidates. Consistent with Bernard Fraga's presentation earlier in the day. 032
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Really interesting discussion from @pollsandvotes.bsky.social showing college voting wards in Wisconsin. Modest Republican shift in university areas, suggesting possible modest student shift rightward. 084
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024The great @pollsandvotes.bsky.social providing the deep dive on Wisconsin 2024 election data. The figure on the right shows ward level change in vote share for Trump between 2020 and 2024. Only tiny shifts at the ward level: incredibly stable presidential vote choice in 2020 and 2024 in Wisconsin. 0112
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024So great to have @francoordonez.bsky.social here at the Elections Research Center 2024 Election Symposium @uwmadison.bsky.social sharing his insights from the campaign trail on the 2024 election! 020
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Prof. Bernard Fraga presenting "Shifting Right or Sitting Out? Black & Latino Voters: 2016-2024." Shows very large shift to GOP by Black men, continued shift to GOP by Latinos & Latinas. Some evidence of Democrats' base staying home in 2024. #ERC2024ElectionSymposium 1171
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Prof. Lynn Vavreck showing survey data about individual voters changing views over time. Argues big shift happened in 2016. Gradual (tectonic shifts) were happening before that. 051
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Prof. Lynn Vavreck arguing that New Deal Era of conflict is over. We have identity-inflected policies are shaping the political landscape. Harder to compromise about identity issues rather than economic issues. 120
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Prof. Lynn Vavreck presenting on The 2024 Election: Calification and Campaign Dynamics 010
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Barry Burden showing late deciding voters broke for Trump. Also an explanation for why polls slightly favored Harris relative to outcome. #ERCElectionSymposium2024 040
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Barry Burden presenting three views of the election: A crazy events driven roller coaster, a standard election explained by traditional political science theories, or a hybrid of standard and events. 040
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Barry Burden kicking off the Election Research Center 2024 Symposium with a recap of election results, and some early explanations 040
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 22/11/2024Today's my favorite post-election tradition! The Election Research Center at the UW is hosting our Election Symposium! We have an all-star panel of: @pollsandvotes.bsky.social, Lynn Vavreck, @bfschaffner.bsky.social, @francoordonez.bsky.social, and Bernard Fraga! elections.wisc.edu/2024symposium/elections.wisc.edu2024 Election SymposiumInformation page for the 2024 Election Symposium event 153
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/11/2024They say "classification based on a model of vote choice in prior Times/Siena polls) by whether the respondent’s race is modeled as white or nonwhite (L2 model)." What does that mean in a predominantly white state like Wisconsin??? 2/2 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 03/11/2024I spent some time this morning diving into the admirably detailed polling methods for the NYT/Siena poll to understand how they weight on party in states like WI that don't have party reg and don't record which party primary you participated in. 1/2 110
Reposted by Ellie PowellJennifer N. Victor @jenvictor.bsky.social · 20/09/2024@winls.bsky.social here we go! 0163
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 20/08/2024jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista...jobs.wisc.eduAssistant Professor - Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesJob Summary: The Political Science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to hire a faculty member at the level of Assistant Professor who will publish original research and teach c... 000
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 20/08/2024jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista...jobs.wisc.eduAssistant or Associate Professor - Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesJob Summary: The Political Science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to hire one faculty member at either the level of Assistant or Associate Professor who will publish origina... 100
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 20/08/2024🚨Thrilled to say we're doing a lot of hiring at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Political Science this year! The first two lines have already posted: American Politics (Asst or Assoc) and Environmental Politics (Asst, Open Field). Links below! 13316
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 07/03/2024So fun to see @winls.bsky.social featured for #WomensHistoryMonth! Tagging my awesome co-authors and cofounders: @schwindtbayer.bsky.social &@giselasin.bsky.social. We're so grateful to the scholars who contribute to this amazing community. Want to join? www.womeninlegislativestudies.org/join.html 052
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 23/01/2024So exciting to be teaching my grad congress course this spring for the first time in a few years. Any recommendations about exciting new stuff I should include? Legislative politics broadly defined -- self-nominations welcome! Grateful for any thoughts & suggestions! 121
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 05/09/2023Do you research political economy in comparative politics? Come join us at UW-Madison! Listing for our TT job: jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista... poliskyjobs.wisc.eduAssistant Professor - Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesJob Summary: The Political Science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to hire a faculty member at the level of Assistant Professor who will publish original research and teach c... 072
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 05/09/2023Do you research political violence in comparative politics? Come join us at UW-Madison! Job listing: jobs.wisc.edu/jobs/assista... poliskyjobs.wisc.eduAssistant Professor - Madison, Wisconsin, United StatesJob Summary: The Political Science department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison seeks to hire a faculty member at the level of Assistant Professor who will publish original research and teach c... 01720
Ellie Powell @ellieneffpowell.bsky.social · 05/09/2023Excited that my first polisky post is to share the good news that we’re hiring for two TT lines in comparative politics: political economy and political violence! Come join us in Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison! I’ll post the links to the job listings. Happy to answer Qs! 060
