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Jenna Bednar

Jenna Bednar

Jenna Bednar
Professor of Political Science, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Professor of Public Policy, Gerald R Ford School of Public Policy and Director Academic Program, Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education
Literature, Science, & Arts » Political Science

Her research combines positive political theory and systems theory to study how formal institutions, such as laws, electoral rules, or constitutions, remain effective in complex environments. She considers institutions not in isolation but as part of a system, with a focus on three questions: (i) how institutions may complement one another to impove their functionality, (ii) how institutional features enable systemic response to perturbations and avoid failures, and (iii) how the interplay between culture and institutions contributes to the production of social goods. She applies these models of multi-institutional analysis to research in three broad categories: first, numerous articles and a book (The Robust Federation, Cambridge University Press, 2009) that address the robustness of federal systems; second, theoretical and experimental work on cultural evolution and institutional performance; and the third contains essays, an empirical paper, and public policy related projects that push her ideas into more applied realms such as campaign contributions, transboundary water systems, and environmental sustainability.

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

My work contributes directly toward solving the United Nations SDGs listed below. Learn more.

6. Clean Water and Sanitation
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions