Lauren Prather

Lauren Prather is an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy and co-director of the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections. Her research examines election integrity, foreign interference in democratic processes, public opinion on international politics, and how institutional design and communication strategies shape public trust in elections.

She is the co-author of "Monitors and Meddlers: How Foreign Actors Influence Local Trust in Elections" (Cambridge University Press), which won the Best Book Award from the American Political Science Association's Foreign Policy Section. Her research has appeared in leading journals, including American Political Science Review, International Organization, International Studies Quarterly, The Journal of Politics, Political Science Research and Methods, World Development and Review of International Organizations.

Prather's work bridges academic research and policy engagement. She collaborates with election officials, policymakers and research institutions to study how election administration practices and public communication strategies affect trust in democratic institutions. She has conducted experimental and survey research on political attitudes in countries across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Her work has received support from organizations including the Pew Charitable Trusts' Election Trust Initiative, the Smith Richardson Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

For more information, please visit Lauren Prather’s personal site. 

Education and CV

Ph.D., Political Science, Stanford University, 2015
B.A., Political Science and French, University of Kansas, 2006
CV

GPS Spotlight