A core objective of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy is to promote research on oversight by legislative bodies with the goal of fostering high-quality fact-finding and oversight investigations that are not captive to partisan interests. The Levin Center was delighted to launch its Oversight Fellowship Program last year and following a rigorous selection process, it is pleased to now announce its 2022 Levin Center Oversight Fellows: Christina M. Kinane and Josh McCrain.
Kinane is an Assistant professor of Political Science at Yale University and a Research Fellow at the Institution of Social and Policy Studies. Broadly, she studies the role of legislatures, executives, and the bureaucracy in policymaking. In particular, her current research examines how presidents strategically use vacancies in top appointments to promote their policy priorities within the framework of interbranch bargaining. She teaches courses on American politics and U.S. executive politics.
Kinane’s fellowship research will explore the institutional and political conditions that influence congressional oversight of presidential appointees. Specifically, she will combine novel datasets on witness testimony at congressional hearings and political appointments in executive agencies to assess empirical patterns in congressional monitoring of acting and confirmed appointees. Her project sheds light on how Congress asserts its constitutional authority to oversee the executive branch when presidents deliberately sidestep the confirmation process.
McCrain is an assistant professor of Political Science at the University of Utah. He earned a Ph.D. in political science from Emory University and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was previously a post-doctoral research associate at the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. His research focuses on public policy, political economy, media and politics, and computational social science within American politics. His current projects involve revolving door lobbying, health policy, local media in the United States, and R for data science. Prior to entering academia, Josh worked in lobbying and advocacy for non-profit organizations in Washington, D.C.
McCrain’s fellowship research will explore the connection between congressional oversight and human capital. Building on research that examines labor markets within Congress, he will explore the relationship between oversight activity and committee spending on personnel. His project provides insight into how Congress can manage its scarce resources effectively.
The Levin Center at Wayne Law was established in 2015 to carry on the legislative oversight legacy and vision of Senator Carl Levin, Michigan’s longest serving Senator. It’s mission is to strengthen the integrity, transparency, and accountability of public and private institutions through the promotion and support of bipartisan, fact-based legislative oversight; to advance good governance, particularly with respect to the legislative process; and to promote civil discourse on current issues of public policy. The Levin Center is part of Wayne State University Law School based in Detroit.
