
- sbenesh@uwm.edu
- 414-229-6468
- Bolton Hall 614C
- https://sites.uwm.edu/sbenesh
- CV
Sara Benesh
- Associate Professor and Chair, Political Science
Education
- PhD., Political Science, Michigan State University, 1999
- MA, Political Science, Michigan State University, 1997
- BA, Political Science and English, Saint Norbert College, 1995
Office Hours
MW 1:00-2:00 pm & By Appt
Teaching Schedule
Courses Taught
- POL SCI 104 - Intro. to American Government and Politics
- POL SCI 412 - Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
- POL SCI 417 - The Supreme Court
- POL SCI 471 - Problems in Law Studies
- POL SCI 963 - Seminar in Judicial Politics and Behavior
Research Interests
- Judicial decision making
- U.S. Courts of Appeals
- U.S. Supreme Court
- State courts of last resort
- Lower federal and state courts
- legitimacy of courts and institutions.
Current Projects
- Wallander, Zachary and Sara C. Benesh. "The Influence of Law Clerks: Evidence from the Blackmun Papers."
Selected Publications
Benesh, Sara C., Armstrong, David A., and Wallander, Zachary. “Advisors to Elites: Untangling Their Effect” Journal of Law and Courts 8.1 (2020): 51-73.
Pashak, Sara C., Jacobson, Jennifer K., Schaeffer, Amanda, and Simmons, Nicole. “Supreme Court Monitoring Via GVRs” Justice System Journal 35.2 (2014): 162-177.
Pashak, Sara C. “Judicial Elections: Directions in the Study of Institutional Legitimacy” Judicature 96.5 (2013): 204-208.
Luse, Jennifer K., McGovern, Geoffrey, Martinek, Wendy L., and Pashak, Sara C. “'Such Inferior Courts . . .': Compliance by Circuits with Jurisprudential Regimes” American Politics Research 37. (2009): 75-106.
Kaheny, Erin, Haire, Susan, and Pashak, Sara C. “Change Over Tenure: Voting, Variance, and Decision Making on The U.S. Courts of Appeals” American Journal of Political Science 52.3 (2008): 490-503.
Pashak, Sara C., and Spaeth, Harold J. “The Constraint of Law: A Study of Supreme Court Dissensus” American Politics Research 35. (2007): 755-768.
Pashak, Sara C. “Understanding Public Confidence in American Courts” Journal of Politics 68.3 (2006): 697-707.
Pashak, Sara C., and Reddick, Malia. “Overruled: An Event History Analysis of Lower Court Reaction to Supreme Court Alterations of Precedent” Journal of Politics 64.2 (2002): 534-550.