I joined the faculty in the Politics Department at the University of Virginia in Fall 2004. I teach classes on political communication, political psychology, and citizen competence along with courses on quantitative analysis and statistics. My research is centered on citizens in American democracy, with a particular emphasis on campaigns and learning. The bulk of my work is motivated by questions of accountability — what can we expect from citizens and how do dominant practices and institutions serve to inhibit or encourage the public’s ability to hold leaders accountable?