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Political Interaction Lab

Principal Investigator:

Francis Benjamin & Dr. Craig Parks

Contact Information:
Email: benjamin@wsu.edu
Office: Johnson Tower 106
Phone: (509) 335-7146

Summary:

The Political Interaction Lab focuses on the political engagement of individuals.  Of particular interest is the motivation and interaction of individuals and their effect on the political process.

Projects currently in process include:

The Treatment of Others Project’s focus is on issues of political discrimination.  It looks at how often political discrimination happens, why, what types are socially acceptable and how to move from political discrimination to collaboration.     

The Legislative Service Project’s focus is to improve the current Washington State legislative process and better prepare the next generation of leaders for public service.  The Legislative Service Project’s area of emphasis includes:

• Improve the recruitment and preparation of students serving legislative internships
  
• Increase civic engagement in the legislative process
  
• Provide perspectives of the legislative process from current and past legislators
  
• Provide insight into changes which have affected the legislative process
  
  • Improve understanding of bipartisanship from the media, lobbyist, student intern, staff and legislator’s perspective
    
• Improve legislative civility in Washington State
  
• Better prepare future student interns, staff and legislators

Results from the 2009 Legislative Service Project - Legislative Surveys

    Legislator - Executive Summary

    Legislator - Full Summary

    Lobbyist - Executive Summary

    Staff - Executive Summary

    Intern - Executive Summary

 

Results from the 2012 Legislative Service Project

   Legislator – Executive Summary

   Legislator – Full summary

   Lobbyist – Executive Summary

   Staff – Executive Summary

 

The Partisan Cues Project’s focus is on what people do when they don’t have the partisan cues of party preference to guide their vote choice. 

The Student Vote Project’s focus is on college student involvement in the political process.  It looks at understanding student perception of government and elected officials, their voter decision making process and their engagement in politics and their community.