Dr. Jenna Bednar

Professor

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Biography

Professor Jenna Bednar specializes in political science with a focus on institutions and their theoretical underpinnings, particularly in the context of federal states. Her recent publication, 'The Robust Federation', explores how complementary institutions can maintain and adjust the distribution of authority between national and state governments. This work contributes significantly to the understanding of federalism and its design, highlighting how distributions suggested by constitutions can lead governments to inefficiently abide by intergovernmental retaliation. Bednar's research further investigates the stability of federations and the role courts play in adjudicating federalism disputes, questioning whether they may exhibit biases favoring the government. She is also interested in constitutional design and its impact on the behavior of heterogeneous populations within decentralized governmental structures.

Research Interests

Courses

American State Government Comparative Constitutional Design Foundations of Institutional Analysis Politics of Federalism

Requirements for University of Michigan

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.5
TOEFL
Total
Required:84
GRE General
Verbal
Required:155
Verbal Percentile
Required:50
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:50
Analytical Writing
Required:3.6
Writing Percentile
Required:50
Prerequisites
Bachelor degree in engineering, physics, or mathematics Calculus Physics
Application Checklist
  • Rackham Graduate School Application
  • Official Transcripts
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Academic Statement of Purpose
  • Personal Statement
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science