Margit Tavits
Dr. William Taussig Professor in Arts and Sciences*
Department of Political Science
I specialize in comparative politics, with regional expertise in Europe (both east and west), and my research interests are relatively broad: I have studied various issues related to political parties, political institutions, corruption, post-communist politics, and gender equality. While I continue to be interested in these topics, my recent research extends the list even further and considers the effects of wartime violence on post-war politics, inter-ethnic cooperation, and women’s representation. Some of my most exciting new research ventures into an uncharted territory in political science: I explore how the language we speak affects how we think about politically relevant issues such as gender and LGBTQ equality, environmental policy, and ethnic divisions.
I’m the author of four books and 60 peer-reviewed articles. My most recent book, Voicing Politics, co-authored with Efrén Pérez (UCLA), won the 2023 Robert E. Lane award for the best book in political psychology and presents exciting new research on how the language we speak affects our political attitudes. My articles have been published in leading journals including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American Political Science Review, American Journal of Political Science, Journal of Politics, and many others. My work has so far collected more than 7200 citations, my current h-index is 41. My research has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the German National Science Foundation, the Weidenbaum Center, Center for the New Institutional Social Sciences, and other sources.
* This professorship was established in recognition of Dr. William Taussig, who was born in Prague in 1826 and came to St. Louis in the mid-1840’s. Dr. Taussig attended medical school at Washington University and received an honorary law degree from the university in 1905. In addition to his other credentials, Dr. Taussig was presiding justice of the St. Louis County Court during the Civil War. Prior to being awarded to me, the Dr. William Taussig Professorship was held by Norman Schofield — an intellectual giant and a colorful personality. The history of this professorship makes me particularly proud and honored to hold it.
Email: tavits@wustl.edu
Office: Seigle Hall 234A
Campus Box 1063
Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO 63130-4899