Research

My current research interests focus substantively on questions of American and comparative political economy, the politics of health policy, and government regulation in public health.  I am particularly interested in the potential of historical-institutional and qualitative approaches from political science to improve policy design and implementation. 

I enjoy collaborating with other researchers on applied projects that address policy problems and allow me to engage with diverse methods.

Dissertation

The Politics of Regulating Data Privacy in the American Political Economy

(dissertation project)

The American economy has become increasingly reliant on the flow of consumer data and its arbiters. As a result, regulations that affect the use and flow of such data are central concerns for U.S. businesses and other organized interests. My book-length dissertation examines the issue of consumer data policy and business power in the context of the U.S. public-private welfare state.

In my book-style dissertation, I trace the historical development of the U.S. federal government’s response to the use of consumer data by market actors for data-driven discrimination. In the U.S., where there is no universal national health insurance, the ability of individuals to participate in private welfare markets plays a vital role in social welfare outcomes. Consumer data protections in these markets thus have important implications for individuals' experiences of the welfare state.

Prior research on consumer protections tends to argue that policy changes in the wake of a public scandal, social movement mobilization, or public interest advocacy – with these components often working in tandem.  While public interest groups play an important role in articulating the policy problem and setting the policy agenda, I argue that industry interest groups and their changing position in the welfare state's institutional arrangements play an equal if not more important role in determining the federal regulatory response to new consumer data technologies.

This project examines the process by which the federal government becomes involved in regulating the private sector's use of consumer data. Focusing on three cases of health information technologies in the U.S. – the use of health status in experience rating, the development of electronic health records (EHR) systems, and the use of human genetic information as health data – I trace the interaction of interest groups and changing welfare institutions to understand why and how the U.S. federal government regulates the use of consumer health data for data-driven discrimination. 

I argue that, even within the shared national institutional environment of the U.S., variation over time in the nature of business coalitions and institutional arrangements shapes the pathways by which the federal government governs personal data and protects consumers in the public-private welfare state. 

Other Research

Political Socialization at Work: Asian Americans in the Tech Sector Workplace  (w/ Tanika Raychaudhuri, University of Houston) 

(preparing for submission)

How are Asian American immigrants socialized into American politics through the workplace? This project is a co-authored study with Tanika Raychaudhuri (University of Houston) that aims to address a question at the intersection of the literature on political behavior, Asian American politics, and immigrant political socialization. Through a qualitative analysis of more than three dozen in-depth employee interviews, we examine the nature and contours of political discussion in the workplace.

 Policy Reports

Martinson, K., Copson, E., Schneider G., Elkin, S., Sarfo, B., Kappil, T., Ma, C., Morrison, C., Nakas, A. 2017. “Evaluation of the Ready to Work Partnership Grant Program: Findings from the Implementation Study of Four Training Programs for Long-Term Unemployed Workers.” Report prepared for the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Abt Associates, in partnership with MEF Associates. Washington, DC.