I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

I study political economy and research methods. Most of my research focuses on business and politics, with a particular focus on the role of public opinion. Many of my articles try to understand how people feel about economic globalization. My book, The Cost of Doing Politics (Cambridge University Press), asks how public opinion shapes corporate influence tactics. I am currently working on a second book about small business ownership.

My methodology work is primarily focused on measurement and data collection in an effort to help more researchers answer more questions in more areas, especially in local politics. I also do research that aims to understand how demographic characteristics of researchers affect the research we do.

I received my Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at Emory University in 2016 under the excellent mentoring of Jennifer Gandhi, and I received my B.S. from the University of Michigan in 2010. I was born and raised in Royal Oak, Michigan. In my spare time, I powerlift and dabble in urban homesteading.
 A photo of Jane Sumner in a dark green blazer over a black shirt, smiling at the camera. She has brown hair in a bun and dark glasses. She did a bad job with her makeup.Photo by Kyra Nygard Photography
Contact
email: jlsumner@umn.edu
office: 1472 Social Sciences Building
267 19th Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55455