Current Research

In his research, Barabas blends interests in American politics--particularly representation and public opinion--with scholarship on public policy, political psychology, and methodology. A central question motivating him comes from democratic theory: do citizens get what they want from government? Consequently, most of his research emphasizes the public dimension of public policy. Sometimes he focuses on attitudes toward reforms for major programs like Social Security or Medicare. Other times he concentrates on how citizens learn about issues from each other or the mass media. But irrespective of the application or the methods used, Barabas studies public opinion with an eye toward what role citizens play in the policy process.