Public administration and policy

Dr. Keiser’s research interests focus on public management and public policy. Specifically, she focuses on the implementation of public policy, public accountability, the relationship between public agencies and other political institutions, representative bureaucracy, and social welfare and education policy. Dr. Keiser has received the Herbert Simon Award from the Midwest Political Science Association for significant contributions to the scientific study of bureaucracy and the Rita Mae Kelly Award from the American Society for Public Administration for distinguished research on women’s issues. She is currently working on projects related to administrative burden, the implementation of the Social Security Disability program, and the relationship between representative bureaucracy and the automation of public services.

Kathleen Miller manages the public affairs master's and graduate certificate and public administration and policy bachelor of arts programs. Dr. Miller teaches the core master of public affairs research methods courses, regional and economic development and the capstone. Prior to her role with the Truman School, she spent 15 years as the program director for the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators seeking to develop an external, nonpartisan policy research institute to address the rural differential impact of public policies and programs. She worked on several key policy issues, including work with Congressional Agriculture Committees and the USDA on rural issues with the Farm Bill. Dr. Miller has been a leading expert on the relationship between which definition of “rural” the federal government uses and program effectiveness, working with RUPRI to prepare Congressional testimony on this topic.

David Switzer’s work stands at the intersection of political science, public management and normative theory, emphasizing water policy in the U.S. Dr. Switzer's primary research focus is on how political and administrative variables shape the implementation and development of environmental policy at the local level. His current research agenda explores how the organizational structure of water utilities determines responses to the political, climatological and demographic environment in which the organization exists. He has additional interests in democratic theory, urban policy and environmental justice.

Dr. Kisida is an assistant professor in the Truman School of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Missouri. He has over a decade of experience in rigorous program evaluation and policy analysis. He has extensive experience conducting randomized controlled trials and has co-authored multiple experimental impact evaluation reports through the Institute of Education Sciences at the U.S. Department of Education. The dominant theme of his research focuses on identifying effective educational options and experiences for at-risk students that can close the achievement gap, the experience gap and the attainment gap.

Dr. Haselswerdt’s research focuses on the politics of public policy, especially health and social policy, in the United States. These interests encompass several different strands of work spanning the study of institutions and behavior. One strand examines how people’s experiences with health, economic instability and public policy shape their political participation. Another investigates the reasons that people assume public policies like Medicaid or cash welfare benefit specific groups of people and not others. Dr. Haselswerdt also is interested in the politics of Medicaid expansions, including via ballot initiative.