Elizabeth Beaumont

Narrative

Elizabeth Beaumont is an Assistant Professor of Political Science.  Her research and teaching focus on the intersections of democratic and constitutional theory and practice, including political theory, civic education and engagement, and constitutional development.

Prior to joining the Political Science department, Beaumont was a Research Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in Stanford, California, where she helped lead the Foundation’s research on civic education and engagement in undergraduates.  She was the co-Principal Investigator and Director of the Political Engagement Project, a multi-method research project studying political learning and development in undergraduates across the country.

Beaumont co-authored two books on civic education and political socialization based on her Carnegie research:  Educating for Democracy (Jossey-Bass, forthcoming 2007) and Educating Citizens (Jossey-Bass 2003).  She is also author or co-author of several articles and book chapters. Educating for Democracy will be the focus of the American Democracy Project, a collaboration between the New York Times and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities that includes more than 200 campuses. 

Currently, Beaumont is working on several projects related to her broad interest in the sources and consequences of democratic participation.  This includes research on political efficacy and a new book, The Republic of Rights, focused on the public face of the Constitution and the role of popular rights ideas and debates in shaping important constitutional developments.  This book seeks to make the role of engaged citizens a more central focus of constitutional theory.

Her civic education research has been supported by grants from the Atlantic Philanthropies, the Carnegie Corporation, the Ford Foundation, CIRCLE, the Hewlett Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, and others.  Beaumont is a new member of the American Political Science Association’s Civic Education and Engagement Committee.  She is also a Senior Fellow at the new Institute for Law and Politics at the University of Minnesota Law School.   She will be a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota in Spring 2008.

• The Republic of Rights: Reclaiming the Public Face of Constitutional Rights. Book manuscript.
• Political Equality and Political Efficacy: An HLM Analysis of the Development of Political Engagement. Article in planning.
  
• “Do Soldiers Check their Speech Rights at the Military Gate?  Some Tensions between the First Amendment and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”   Article in planning.
  

Grants, Research Awards, & Professional Recognition

• McKnight Land-Grant Professorship Nomination, University of Minnesota, September 2007
• Fellow, Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Minnesota, Spring 2008
• Graduate Research Partnership Program Grant, University of Minnesota 2007
• Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Grant, University of Minnesota 2007
• Faculty Summer Research Fellowship, University of Minnesota, 2006
• The Atlantic Philanthropies ($500,000) 2002-2005
• The Carnegie Corporation of New York ($300,000) 2001-2005
• The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) ($75,000) 2002-2005
• The Ford Foundation ($150,000) 2001-2005
• The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation ($200,000) 2001-2005
• The Irvine Foundation ($30,000) 2000-2001