Alexandra Filindra

Dr. Alexandra Filindra is Associate Professor of Political Science and Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. She specializes in American gun politics, immigration policy, race and ethnic politics, public opinion, and political psychology. Her book, Race, Rights and Rifles: The Origins of the NRA and Contemporary Gun Culture (The University of Chicago Press, 2023) analyzes the origins of the NRA and the relationship between ideologies of citizenship and support for guns and political violence. Her current project focuses on threats and violence against elected officials and their staff and how these experiences shape candidates’ campaign behavior and political ambition. Dr. Filindra is the author of more than 30 peer-review articles. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Politics, Political Behavior, Policy Studies Journal, Regional Studies, State Politics and Policy Quarterly, Harvard Education Review, Migration Studies, International Migration, and other scholarly journals. Her research has been supported by grants from the University of Illinois Chicago, the Pew Center for the States, the Russell Sage Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Rhode Island Foundation. She is the recipient of three best paper awards from the American Political Science Association and the Lucius Barker Award from the Midwest Political Science Association.