About me
![Faculty photo of Laurel Harbridge-Yong, credit Justin Barbin Photography](https://sites.northwestern.edu/lharbridgeyong/files/2020/06/HarbridgeYong-faculty-photo-2017-2-200x300.jpg)
I am a Professor in the Department of Political Science and a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Policy Research. My research explores a range of questions surrounding partisan conflict and the difficulty of reaching bipartisan agreements and legislative compromises in American politics. I received my Ph.D. from Stanford University in 2009.
Overview
![Is Bipartisanship Dead? (2015) and Rejecting Compromise (2020). Cambridge University Press.](https://sites.northwestern.edu/lharbridgeyong/files/2020/06/jacket-cover-COLLAGE-2-e1593205630853-360x200.jpg)
Research
My research examines what the public wants from their elected officials, how public opinion shapes the electoral incentives of legislators, and how these incentives are reflected in the legislative process.
![Capitol in Washington Photo by skeeze--272447](https://sites.northwestern.edu/lharbridgeyong/files/2020/07/Canva-Capitol-in-Washington-360x200.jpg)
Teaching
I teach undergraduate and graduate courses on American politics. Courses include Polisci 325: Congress and the Legislative Process, Polisci 395: Party Polarization, Polisci 411: Theories of American Political Institutions, and Polisci 405: Linear Models.
![Speech at Center for Ethics in Public Life, St. Louis, MO. 2014.](https://sites.northwestern.edu/lharbridgeyong/files/2020/06/1411_Ethics-8931-Copy-360x200.jpg)
Media and Public Engagement
I am active in presenting my research to other scholars, speaking to the media about my research and American politics more broadly, and speaking with public groups interested in partisan conflict, elections, and gridlock in American politics.