Valeria Sinclair-Chapman
Professor
// Political Science
Faculty
Director, Center for Research on Diversity and Inclusion
Director, Political Science Legislative Internships
Affiliated Faculty // African American Studies // SIS
Affiliated Faculty // Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies // SIS
Office and Contact
Ph.D. Ohio State University
M.A. Ohio State University
B.A. University of North Carolina-Asheville, with Honors
Specializations
American Politics
Politics, Groups, and Identities
Research Summary
Valeria Sinclair-Chapman’s work focuses on American political institutions, legislative politics, minority representation in Congress, and minority political participation. Broadly construed, her research examines why and how previously marginalized groups gain inclusion in the American political system. She is author or co-author of journal articles in the Journal of Politics, Electoral Studies, Political Research Quarterly, and Politics, Groups, and Identities, as well as several book chapters and an award-winning book, Countervailing Forces in African-American Political Activism, 1973-1994 (Cambridge University Press, 2006).
Sinclair-Chapman's current research projects examine how legislators represent the interests of racial and ethnic minorities in Congress at various stages of the legislative process. She is past president of the Women’s Caucus of the South in the Southern Political Science Association, and former co-president of the Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association. She teaches courses on Race and Ethnic Politics, African-American Politics, Political Representation, Black Political Leadership, Congress as an Institution, and Introduction to American Politics.