Lily Geismer

Lily Geismer is an Associate Professor of History at Claremont McKenna College, specializing in 20th-century U.S. political and urban history, with a focus on liberalism and the Democratic Party. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Brown University. Her research examines how political strategies and public policy have shaped economic inequality and party dynamics.

Her major works include Left Behind (2022), analyzing the Democratic Party’s Clinton-era approaches to inequality, and Don’t Blame Us (2015), which explores suburban liberalism’s impact on the Democratic Party. She co-edited Shaped by the State (2019), advancing political historiography.

Geismer’s awards include the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship (2018–2021) and fellowships from the Charles Warren Center and Miller Center of Public Affairs. Her work appears in venues like the Journal of American History, New York Times, and Washington Post.

Her teaching and research interests span urban/suburban politics, public policy, race, capitalism, and gender. She resides in Los Angeles, contributing to public discourse through media and podcasts.