Dr. Hanna Brant is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Prior to joining the faculty at Geneseo in 2020, she earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Missouri with concentrations in American politics and public administration. She teaches a range of classes related to American politics and institutions, including courses on the executive branch, Congress and the legislative process, and state and local government. Additionally, she has taught courses on identity, gender and politics, and research methods. Dr. Brant’s research examines the contours of political careers of members of Congress, state legislators, and legislative staff. She's particularly interested in the impact of women in legislatures and how staffers supplement congressional capacity to draft legislation and conduct oversight. She has a B.S. from Indiana State University in Political Science with minors in Women's Studies and Civic Leadership.
Curriculum Vitae
Publications
-
"Polarization and the Ties That Bind: Congressional Staff Turnover." 2024. Congress & the Presidency.
"Gendered Pluralism" by Belinda Robnett and Katherine Tate. 2023. Public Opinion Quarterly (Book Review).
"R&R: Retirements from and Retentions in the Popularly-Elected Senate." 2023. New England Journal of Political Science 13(1).
"With fewer women in NYS Legislature, where will future leaders come from?" 2023. In Syracuse Post-Standard (Guest Commentary).
“The Rainbow Wave in 2020: The LGBTQ+ Community and the Path to Equitable Representation.” 2023. In Identity Politics in US Elections, Palgrave MacMillan.
"Legislating as Your Full Self: Queer Women of Color in US State Legislatures." 2022. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 43(3): 297-309.
“Under Pressure: Centralizing Regulation in Response to Presidential Directives." 2022. Presidential Studies Quarterly 52(2): 340-366.
“Congressional Career Decisions in the 2018 Congressional Midterm Elections.” 2021. Congress & the Presidency 48(1): 8-24.
“Female Appointed Successors in the United States Senate.” 2020. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 44(4): 527-541.
“Checking Out: 2018 Congressional Retirements and Resignations in Historical Perspective.” 2020. In The Unforeseen Impacts of the 2018 US Midterms, Palgrave MacMillan.
“Drinking the Tea: The Tea Party Movement and Legislative Agendas in the U.S. Senate.” 2019. Congress & the Presidency 46(1): 60-88.
“Ambition, Gender, and Legislative Behavior in the U.S. House.” 2019. Journal of Women, Politics & Policy 40(2): 286-308.
“Joining the Great Majority: An Analysis of Senate Deaths, 1919-2015.” 2018. Social Science Quarterly 99(5): 1637- 1648.
“Promotion, Protection, and Entrepreneurship: Stakeholder Participation and Policy Change in the 21st Century Cures Initiative.” 2017. Politics & Policy 45(3): 372-404.
Education
Ph.D., Political Science. University of Missouri, May 2020.
B.S., summa cum laude, Political Science, Minors in Civic Leadership and Women’s Studies. Indiana State University, May 2015.
Classes
-
PLSC 110: American Politics
An analysis of the American system of government, focusing on the relationships among national government institutions and on intergovernmental relations among the nation, the states, and the cities.
-
PLSC 251: Modern Political Analysis
The purpose of this course is to introduce Political Science majors to the methods of modern political science research. The course will include a presentation of the scientific approach as practiced by Political Scientists, focusing on both theoretical and methodological issues. The purposes of research, measurement problems, and other data management problems in political science research will be discussed. Students will be introduced to basic statistical techniques of data analysis including: dispersion and central tendency, correlation coefficients, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, Chi-Square tests, student t-tests, and simple regression analysis.
-
PLSC 373: Presidential Politics
A study of contemporary presidential performance within the American political system. Particular attention is given to alternative chief executive choices and values in selecting appropriate courses of action in response to perceived public needs. Topics include political selection processes, political leadership, the presidential advisory system, the public policy presidency, the role of the press, and evaluating presidential power.