People at Political Science

Olivia Meeks

Personal Statement

Olivia is a Political Science PhD student with interests in American politics and economic policy-making. Her current research focuses primarily on issues of American political economy and the role of business and labor interests in policy decision-making, but she also has interests in economic inequality, welfare retrenchment, political polarization, social policy, and political participation. Recent working papers include empirical research on the divergent economic policy priorities of private and public sector unions in state and national politics, the role of organized labor in state-level economic policy outcomes, and the political consequences of strike activity by public employees.