Faculty Profile
Sarah Niebler
(she/they)Associate Professor of Political Science (2013)
Contact Information
Denny Hall Room 302
717-254-8093
http://sarahniebler.com
Bio
Professor Niebler's research and teaching interests are in the area of American politics, specifically campaigns and elections, political behavior, and public opinion. She teaches courses on those topics as well as Mass Media and American Politics, Polarization and American Politics, and Research Methods. Her scholarly work has been published in the American Journal of Political Science, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Political Communication, the Journal of Public Economics, the Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, American Politics Research, and the Journal of Women, Politics, and Policy. Additionally, her research and analysis has been featured on NPR’s “Hidden Brain”, and in The Hill and Roll Call, among others. Currently, Professor Niebler is working on a project examining the nationalization of American political campaigns, asking how much coordination and incidental compatibility is taking place between campaigns at the presidential, congressional, and state legislative levels in 2020.
Education
- B.A., Muhlenberg College, 2004
- M.A., Lehigh University, 2005
- M.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2008
- Ph.D., 2012
2024-2025 Academic Year
Fall 2024
FYSM 100 First-Year Seminar
The First-Year Seminar (FYS) introduces students to Dickinson as a "community of inquiry" by developing habits of mind essential to liberal learning. Through the study of a compelling issue or broad topic chosen by their faculty member, students will:
- Critically analyze information and ideas
- Examine issues from multiple perspectives
- Discuss, debate and defend ideas, including one's own views, with clarity and reason
- Develop discernment, facility and ethical responsibility in using information, and
- Create clear academic writing
The small group seminar format of this course promotes discussion and interaction among students and their professor. In addition, the professor serves as students' initial academic advisor. This course does not duplicate in content any other course in the curriculum and may not be used to fulfill any other graduation requirement.
POSC 244 Public Opinion
Examines the origins, nature, and impact of public opinion in the United States. The ways that the public's attitudes are shaped and used by interest groups, politicians, and the mass media will be discussed. Methods of measuring public opinion, with special attention to polling, will be studied. Prerequisite: 120, or permission of the instructor.
POSC 390 Campaigns and Elections
Permission of Instructor Required. The purpose of this seminar is to examine and analyze the role of the political campaign in the American political system. We will look at key aspects of campaigns - candidates; money; polling; advertising; and media - as we read current research on the state of campaigning in the United States. Since this seminar occurs during an election season, students should expect to actively engage with current events, relating course topics to what they are observing in the day-to-day campaigns of candidates currently competing for office. Political pundits and commentators generate a tremendous amount of analysis, commentary, and predictions about American elections; however, in this class we will move beyond these types of comments and attempt to understand how voters decide and how campaigns persuade.