Abigail Hemmen

I am a Ph.D. candidate in political science at the University of Notre Dame. I am affiliated with the Representation and Politics in Legislatures and the Politics, Organizations, and Psychology research groups. I study political representation, elite behavior, social media, controversial speech, political behavior, and state politics. 

In my dissertation, Online Style, I explore how social media has impacted the relationship between state legislators and their constituents. What encourages (or discourages) legislators to have an online presence? Are there advantages to those who post? How do their constituents react to their social media posts? I use observational and experimental data to answer these questions. 

More broadly, I am interested in the way technology has changed our political environment, social norms, and daily lives.