Sara Chatfield

Sara Chatfield

Associate Professor

What I do

Assistant Professor of Political Science

Specialization(s)

American Politics, American political development, gender and politics, public law, political behavior

Professional Biography

Sara Chatfield is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Denver. Her research focuses on American political development, women in politics, and political behavior. Her book, In Her Own Name: The Politics of Women's Rights Before Suffrage, examines the politics of married women's economic rights reform in the 1800s and early 1900s. Dr. Chatfield teaches classes on American politics and law, including Constitutional Law I, Judicial Politics, and a freshman seminar on the politics of bathrooms.

Degree(s)

  • Ph.D., Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, 2014
  • MA, Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, 2007
  • BA, Politics, Oberlin College, 2006

Professional Affiliations

  • American Political Science Association

Research

Dr. Chatfield's research focuses on the development of married women’s economic rights in U.S. state courts, legislatures, and constitutional conventions in the 1800s and early 1900s. She is currently working on a new project on the politics of bathroom access in the United States. She also conducts research on political behavior (including various aspects of political participation and vote choice) and American political development (including congressional politics and analysis of historical polling data).

Areas of Research

American politics
American political development
gender and politics
public law
political behavior