Hello! I’m

Alexandra Stinson-Swartout

Michigan State University

A Public Policy PhD Candidate at

MSU Shadows
Joshua Davis

Hello, my name is Alexandra Stinson-Swartout and I'm a PhD candidate here at Michigan State University. I am a passionate teacher-scholar whose research predominately focuses in education policy and the politics of education. I got my Bachelor's Degree in 2020 from the University of Tampa and my Master's from MSU in 2023. I was also an IES pre-doctoral fellow from 2022 - 2025, a program which focuses on promoting interdisciplinary social sciences work in education policy. 

My dissertation, "As The Chalk Dust Settles: School Choice's Impact on the Education Environment 30 Years Later", explores how the growth and entrenchment of school choice since the late 90s has shaped public opinion, competition introduced by public school choice, and the policymaking environment. It incorporates a variety of methodological techniques like interviews with school officials and survey research in addition to quantitative analysis. Other work I've done includes research on institutional trust, polarization, and education policy evaluation and implementation. 

In addition to my research, I spent four years serving our community on the Graduate Student Association council - two of which I was president. Pedagogy is a strong interest of mine and I have taught online and in-person as an instructor for undergraduate and masters' level courses.

ABOUT ME

What am I up to this semester?

  • I am currently teaching an undergraduate section of PLS 313: American Public Policy. The syllabus for this course can be found here.

  • My most recent publication can be found in State and Local Government review here.

    Citation:
    Reckhow, S., Sapotichne, J., & Stinson-Swartout, A. (2026). Social Infrastructure in Hard Times: Local Public Library Usage and Recovery During COVID-19. State and Local Government Review, 0(0).

  • You can find me presenting upcoming work on policy regime decay and the federal education agenda at the 2026 Midwest Political Science Association annual conference in Chicago, IL.

    “The Fall of Accountability: Federal Education Politics in an Era of Polarization and Regime Decay”, with Dr. Sarah Reckhow and Drayton Willey. Forthcoming presentation at the Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference, Chicago, IL, April 2026.