DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

Interests

Research Interest(s): Political behavior, social policy, place-based inequality, American political economy, energy and climate politics, mixed methods

Program Area(s): American Politics

Regional Specialization(s): United States

Subfield Specialties: Public Opinion, Political Communication, and Political Participation

Elizabeth Thom studies social and climate policy, political economy, and place-based inequality in the United States. Her research agenda focuses on the ways that major economic and social transformations reshape local community contexts, policy dynamics, and political behavior. She examines these issues using a range of methods and data sources, including in-depth field work, interviews, archives, and administrative records. Her current book project explores the policy responses to extractive industry decline in Appalachia and their consequences for both individuals and communities. She is also engaged in policy-oriented research on community-driven, regional strategies for the U.S. energy transition. Thom received her BA in Political Science and Hispanic Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, her MSc in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford, and her AM and PhD from Harvard University.