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Amy M. Widestrom
Associate Professor / Chair, Historical and Political Studies
Easton 232 (215) 572-2917
About Me
Amy Widestrom came to Arcadia in 2012. She earned her B.A. in English and theater from Oberlin College, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Her recent book, Displacing Democracy: Economic Segregation in America (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2015), discusses the civic and political consequences of residential economic segregation in American cities, and she is working on a series of articles about the political factors that contribute to economic inequality at the state level. As a scholar of politics in America, Amy focuses in particular on issues of political disaffection and disenfranchisement; her next research projects will focus on the political effects of mass incarceration in the United States, and on the ways in which schools foster an active civic disposition among youth. Amy has numerous other publications, including contributions to volumes focusing on the Tea Party and the 2010 midterm elections, the history of American cities, and educational programs in prisons and jails, in addition to her ongoing presentations at scholarly conferences covering politics, history, and teaching and learning at colleges and universities. As the primary professor of American politics and government at Arcadia, Amy teaches several courses about domestic politics, policy, and institutions, while also teaching courses as part of the First-Year Seminar program on American electoral politics and the politics of food. Amy has also been the recipient of several awards, including the 2016 American Political Science Association's Clarence Stone Scholar Award, given by the Urban and Local Politics Section, a Brookings Institution Research Fellowship, and an American Political Association Congressional Fellowship in 2008-09, when she worked for the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs as the nation worked to recover from economic crisis.
Areas Of Focus
American Politics, specifically income inequality, economic segregation, urban policy, political behavior
Hometown
Raised in Boring, OR, lives in Elkins Park, PA
Home Country
United States
Education History
Oberlin College 1999
BA, Major in English, Theater
Minor in History
Syracuse University 2008
PhD, Major in Political Science
Publications
Displacing Democracy: Economic Segregation in America
"The History and Politics of Correctional Education,” in Education-Based Incarceration and Recidivism (ed. Anthony Normore and Brian Fitch)
“Prison Education: The Inmate as Student,” in Education-Based Incarceration and Recidivism (ed. Anthony Normore and Brian Fitch)
“Buffalo, NY, 1854 - 1877,” in Cities in American Political History (ed. Richardson Dilworth)
“Buffalo, NY, 1877 - 1896,” in Cities in American Political History (ed. Richardson Dilworth)
“St. Louis, MO, 1941 - 1952,” in Cities in American Political History (ed. Richardson Dilworth)
“”A Deep Blue Hole”?: California, the Tea Party, and the 2010 Midterm Elections,” in Key States, High Stakes: Sarah Palin, the Tea Party and the 2010 Midterm Election (ed. Charles S. Bullock, III(
Research Summary
Amy's recent book, Displacing Democracy: Economic Segregation in America (University of Pennsylvania Press), discusses the civic and political consequences of residential economic segregation in American cities, and she is working on a series of articles about the political factors that contribute to economic inequality at the state level. As a scholar of politics in America, Amy focuses in particular on issues of political disaffection and disenfranchisement; her next major research projects will focus on the political effects of mass incarceration in the United States, and on the ways in which educational contexts shape civic orientation among youth. Amy has numerous publications, including contributions to volumes focusing on the history of American cities, the Tea Party and the 2010 midterm elections, and educational programs in prisons and jails.