No one confronts the consequences of contemporary partisan polarization more than the country’s elected officials and the lobbyists who try to influence them.

This lecture by Geoff Lorenz, assistant professor of Political Science, examines the strategies these political elites use to survive and thrive, and sometimes even govern effectively, in an era of partisan polarization. Along the way, we’ll learn how political scientists get reliable data about actors whose job depends on their ability to spin, sell, and self-promote.