Betsy Sinclair

Chair of Political Science
Professor of Political Science
Thomas F. Eagleton University Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science
research interests:
  • American
  • Methodology
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    contact info:

    mailing address:

    • Washington University
    • MSC 1063-228-249
    • One Brookings Drive
    • St. Louis, MO 63130-4899
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    ​Professor Sinclair’s research interests include American politics and political methodology with an emphasis on individual political behavior.

    Professor Sinclair focuses on the social foundations of participatory democracy — the ways in which social networks influence voting, donating, choosing a candidate or identifying with a particular party.

    Professor Sinclair has been Chair of Political Science since July 2023.

     The Social Citizen

    The Social Citizen

    Human beings are social animals. Yet despite vast amounts of research into political decision making, very little attention has been devoted to its social dimensions. In political science, social relationships are generally thought of as mere sources of information, rather than active influences on one’s political decisions.