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Elizabeth Bennion
IU South Bend

Elizabeth Bennion

Department of Political Science

Expert Bio

Elizabeth Bennion is Chancellor’s Professor of political science at Indiana University South Bend, where she teaches courses in American politics and serves as director of community engagement. Her research includes large-scale voter registration and mobilization field experiments in which randomized assignments are used to test the effectiveness of different mobilization techniques.

She is the founding director of IU South Bend’s American Democracy Project; president of the Indiana Debate Commission; and host of “Politically Speaking,” a weekly TV program on WNIT Public Television. In these capacities she hosts and moderates political discussions; public issue forums; and candidate debates for local, state and national candidates.

A nationally recognized expert on civic education and political engagement, Bennion has won numerous local, state and national awards for her teaching and service and has published widely in academic books, journals and professional newsletters. She teaches American politics, including political controversies, campaigns and elections, and race/gender politics.

Bennion is co-editor of three books on teaching civic engagement: “Teaching Civic Engagement: From Student to Active Citizen” (2013), “Teaching Civic Engagement Across the Disciplines” (2017) and “Teaching Civic Engagement Globally” (2021).

Areas of Expertise

Politics, American politics, campaigns, elections, voter turnout, political behavior, race and gender politics, civic education, civic engagement, the youth vote, Indiana state politics, Indiana General Assembly.

Other Information

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