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

Biography

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. It is based on her dissertation, which received the American Political Science Association's Harold D. Lasswell Award for the best dissertation in the field of public policy, the award for best dissertation from the American Political Economy section, and the Harvard Government Department's Charles Sumner Prize. 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.

Awards

• Harold D. Lasswell Award for Best Dissertation in the field of Public Policy, American Political Science Association 2026
• Best Dissertation in American Political Economy, American Political Science Association 2026
• Senator Charles Sumner Dissertation Prize, Harvard University 2025
• Sid Verba Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Harvard University 2023