Katy Harriger
Professor of Political Science
Harriger is an expert on political participation and voting among college-age people. She is also an expert on federal special prosecutors.
Biography
Research on young people and civic engagement demonstrates that they are very turned off by the extreme partisan polarization that characterizes American politics, says Harriger. Will young voters turn out in 2016? She studies political participation and voting among young people and is the co-author of a new multi-year study showing that college students who… Read More »
Research on young people and civic engagement demonstrates that they are very turned off by the extreme partisan polarization that characterizes American politics, says Harriger. Will young voters turn out in 2016? She studies political participation and voting among young people and is the co-author of a new multi-year study showing that college students who participate in public deliberation and learn to talk with those with differing viewpoints, are more politically involved later. She can also comment on women in politics and whether or not a woman can be elected president. She has also researched the changing composition of the Supreme Court. Harriger is the co-author of Speaking of Politics: Preparing College Students for Democratic Citizenship through Deliberative Dialogue and three other books. Inspired by the Watergate hearings of her college years, Harriger has also studied the use of federal special prosecutors in American government and is the author of The Special Prosecutor in American Politics. Will young voters turn out in 2016? Can a woman be elected president?
Media Appearances
Robert Mueller's Russia Investigation Is Moving Really Fast. Here's Why
TIME
September 22, 2017
“His reputation is as someone who doesn’t mess around,” says Katy Harriger, a professor at Wake Forest College and author of a book on federal special prosecutors. “But I think if you look at the overarching questions of this investigation, they’re pretty serious in terms of the alleged wrongdoing, and I think someone of Mueller’s stature and commitment to public service that he’s demonstrated would want to know the truth about this fairly quickly.”
With a picked lock and a threatened indictment, Mueller’s inquiry sets a tone
The New York Times
September 18, 2017
The longer Mr. Mueller’s investigation goes on, the more vulnerable he will be to allegations that he is on a fishing expedition, said Katy Harriger, a professor of politics at Wake Forest University and the author of a book on special prosecutors. Such accusations dogged the investigation of Kenneth W. Starr, the independent counsel whose investigation of Mr. Clinton stretched on for years.
Sanders’s message stands to resonate long after election
The New York Times
April 3, 2016
Katy Harriger, a political scientist at Wake Forest University who has studied the youth vote, thinks that Mr. Sanders has the capacity to keep them mobilized on issues like campaign financing and economic inequality. That engagement could carry to the off-year elections, when the participation of young voters traditionally drops off. “He has tapped into something very real and has credibility with a lot of these young voters,” Ms. Harriger said.
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More Information
Areas of Expertise
- American Constitutional Law
- Government Ethics
- Independent Counsel & Special Prosecutors
- The Separation of Powers
- The Supreme Court
- Women and Politics
Education
University of Connecticut: Ph.D., Political Science and Government
University of Connecticut: M.A., Political Science and Government
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania: B.A., Political Science
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