معرفی
Rachel Augustine Potter is an Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia and a Senior Fellow at the Miller Center for Public Affairs. She also holds a courtesy appointment as Associate Professor of Public Policy at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Her work centers on American political institutions, with a focus on the bureaucracy, executive branch, and regulatory processes.
- Ph.D., Political Science & Public Policy, University of Michigan
- M.A., Political Science, University of Michigan
- M.P.P., Public Policy, University of Southern California
- B.A., Communication, Boston College
Her research explores the strategic use of procedures in bureaucracy, particularly how agencies navigate political oversight through rulemaking tactics such as slow-rolling, fast-tracking, and the use of contractors. She investigates how political control, organizational capacity, and gender dynamics influence policy outcomes in the federal bureaucracy. Her work bridges political science, public administration, and administrative law, often employing large-scale datasets and empirical analysis.
Her recent publications focus on topics such as regulatory contracting, presidential influence on federal research, gender and leadership in agencies, and the politicization of sub-regulatory guidance. The trend across her articles shows a consistent interest in the hidden mechanisms of administrative power and how unelected officials shape public policy within a separation of powers system.
- American Political Science Association's Theodore Lowi Award for best first book
- APSA Richard Neustadt Award for best book on executive politics
- APSA Herbert A. Simon Award for public administration scholarship
- National Academy of Public Administration's Louis Brownlow Award
Potter has served as an expert witness before Congress and as a consultant to the Administrative Conference of the United States. She was President of the Midwest Public Administration Caucus and is actively involved in policy discussions on executive governance. She has directed graduate admissions in her department, indicating leadership in academic administration. Her research has been supported by extensive data collection and collaborative projects with scholars across institutions.
She is affiliated with research teams studying the administrative presidency and executive policymaking, often collaborating with experts like Andrew Rudalevige, Kenneth Lowande, and Bridget Dooling. Her lab or research group is not explicitly named, but her work involves data-driven analysis of federal rulemaking, procurement, and agency behavior, suggesting a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment.
