I am interested in the implications of political communication practices for the quality and outcomes of democratic deliberation and public opinion formation, particularly within small-group settings.

I am studying the potential for political storytelling -- and particularly for narratives of personal experience -- to facilitate inclusive political communication and interpersonal deliberation. My work is rooted in a "deliberation 2.0" framework for deliberative democracy, which envisions a place in deliberation for narratives, testimony, greeting, and pathos in addition to more canonical forms of political argumentation. In my dissertation, I investigate the ways in and the ends to which stories are deployed in small-group deliberation, with a focus on argument, conflict, identity negotiation, and the framing of political issues.

Advisor: Dr. William "Chip" Eveland