Traci Burch

Traci Burch serves as Research Professor at the American Bar Foundation and Professor of Political Science at Northwestern University, focusing on the intersection of criminal justice, political behavior, and structural inequality. Her work examines how systemic inequities shape democratic engagement and community dynamics.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Government and Social Policy, Harvard University
• A.B. in Politics, Princeton University

Her research investigates racial disparities in policing outcomes, voter disenfranchisement mechanisms, and political participation barriers within marginalized communities. Employing mixed-methods approaches, she analyzes how criminal justice encounters suppress neighborhood political engagement while exploring racialized narratives in officer-involved killings. Current projects include Policing and Political Participation and Verification of Voter Eligibility: The Process of Disenfranchisement.

Recent publications (2021-2022) reveal how victim characteristics in police killings influence political interest and voter turnout, while examining protest repression dynamics. Earlier work established foundational links between criminal justice system involvement and neighborhood-level political decline.

Scientific Awards:

• Ralph J. Bunche Award (2014)
• Urban Section Best Book Award (2014)
• Law and Courts Section C. Herman Pritchett Award (2014)

No details regarding student advising, grant funding, or laboratory affiliations appear in available documentation. Her scholarly contributions continue through publications in Political Behavior, Law and Society Review, and Criminology and Public Policy.