Mary (Molly) Scudder
Associate Professor
// Political Science
Faculty
Associate Professor
// Cornerstone
Faculty
Research focus:
Political Theory and Democracy
Office and Contact
Ph.D., University of Virginia, 2014
M.A., University of Virginia, 2010
B.S., Santa Clara University, 2007
Specializations
Political Theory
Public Policy
Politics of Groups and Identities
American Politics
Affiliations
Cornerstone Integrated Liberal Arts
Associate, Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Global Governance
Research Summary
Mary F. (Molly) Scudder specializes in democratic theory. She is an expert on empathy and listening in political communication. She is the author of two books and several research articles dealing with how citizens who have diverse and conflicting political and moral commitments can come together to order public life in a democratic way. Dr. Scudder is interested in political decision-making among everyday people, and how political talk shapes people’s political opinions.
Selected Publications
Scudder, Mary F. and Stephen K. White. 2023. The Two Faces of Democracy: Decentering Agonism and Deliberation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Scudder, Mary F. 2023. “Deliberative Democracy, More than Deliberation,” Political Studies, Vol. 71 (1): 238-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/00323217211032624.
Scudder, Mary F. 2022. “Measuring Democratic Listening: A Listening Quality Index,” Political Research Quarterly, Vol. 75, Issue 1: 175-187. https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912921989449.
Scudder, Mary F. 2020. Beyond Empathy and Inclusion: The Challenge of Listening in Democratic Deliberation. New York: Oxford University Press.
Scudder, Mary F. 2020. “The Ideal of Uptake in Democratic Deliberation,” Political Studies, Vol. 68, Issue 2: 504-522. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321719858270.