Mellissa Meisels
Assistant Professor
Biography:
Mellissa Meisels is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and a faculty fellow of the Institution for Social and Policy Studies and the Center for the Study of American Politics at Yale University. Her research centers on the U.S. Congress, money in politics, electoral campaigns, and political organizations. Much of this agenda investigates the strategic choices of candidates and financial contributors in congressional campaigns, with an emphasis on primary elections.
Contact:
- 24 Hillhouse, Office 205
- mellissa.meisels@yale.edu
Education:
- Ph.D. Vanderbilt University, 2024
- M.A. Vanderbilt University, 2022
- B.A. University of California, Los Angeles, 2018
Articles:
- 2026. “Candidate Positions, Responsiveness, and Returns to Extremism”. Journal of Politics 88(2).
- 2026. “Everything in Moderation? The Effect of Extremist Nominations on Individual and Corporate PAC Fundraising”. Political Science Research and Methods.
- 2025. “Strategic Campaign Attention to Abortion Before and After Dobbs”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122(20): e2503080122.
- 2024. “Giving to the Extreme? Experimental Evidence on Donor Response to Candidate and District Characteristics”. British Journal of Political Science 54(3): 851–873.
Courses Taught at Yale:
- PLSC 2255: Special Interest Politics in the US
- PLSC 3256/8050: Elite Behavior in Congressional Elections
Interests:
- American Politics
- Quantitative Methods