Zachary Oberfield
Zachary Oberfield
Professor and Chair of Political Science
Hall 02
(610)896-1000
zoberfie [at] haverford.edu
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Biography

I received my B.A. in Political Science from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and my Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I teach courses on American politics, education policy and politics, public policy, bureaucracy, the presidency, and Congress. Previously I taught at Temple University and at the City College of New York.

Research

My research focuses on schools, organizational change, leadership, and street-level bureaucracy.

Selected publications

"The Politics of Progressivity: Court-ordered Reforms, Racial Difference, and School Finance Fairness." 2022. American Educational Research Journal. With Bruce Baker. 

"Racial Discrimination and Street-Level Managers: Performance, Publicness, and Group Bias." 2021. Public Administration Review. With Matthew Incantalupo.

"Parent Engagement and Satisfaction in Public Charter and District Schools." 2020. American Educational Research Journal.

"Change and Stability in Public Workforce Development: A Ten-Year Study of New Officers in an Urban Police Department." 2019. Public Management Review.

Are Charters Different? Public Education, Teachers, and the Charter School Debate. 2017. Harvard Education Press.

“A Bargain Half Fulfilled: Teacher Autonomy and Accountability in Traditional Public Schools and Public Charter Schools.” 2016. American Educational Research Journal.

Becoming Bureaucrats: Socialization at the Front Lines of Government Service. 2014. University of Pennsylvania Press.

“Why Are Some Agencies Perceived As More Committed To Diversity Than Others? An Analysis Of Public-Sector Diversity Climates.” 2015. Public Management Review.

“Accounting for Time: Comparing Temporal and Atemporal Analyses of the Business Case for Diversity Management.” 2014. Public Administration Review.

“Public Management in Time: A Longitudinal Examination of the Full Range of Leadership Theory.” 2014. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory.

“Socialization and Self-Selection: How Police Officers Develop Their Views about Using Force.” 2012. Administration & Society.

“Would More Minority Officers Have Made a Difference in Ferguson?” 2014. Washington Post, Monkey Cage Blog.