Elaine C. Kamarck is a Lecturer in Public Policy who came to the Kennedy School in 1997 after a career in politics and government. In the 1980s, she was one of the founders of the New Democrat movement that helped elect Bill Clinton president. She served in the White House from 1993 to 1997, where she created and managed the Clinton administration's National Performance Review, also known as reinventing government. At the Kennedy School she served as Director of Visions of Governance for the Twenty-First Century and as Faculty Advisor to the Innovations in American Government Awards Program. In 2000, she took a leave of absence to work as Senior Policy Advisor to the Al Gore presidential campaign. She conducts research on American politics, 21st century government, and governmental reform and innovation. She is author of The End of Government as We Know It. Kamarck received her PhD in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Research Assistant Skills:Dr. Kamarck will be writing a book called "The Relationship: Modern American Presidents and their Vice Presidents” The research assistant will be doing a great deal of historical research and should have a grasp of American history. History majors or political science concentrators are preferred. She is looking for someone who can summarize historical information and write well.

2012 Research Assistant Reflection:

I had the chance to do research on a wide variety of subjects in the general topic of Presidential Politics. While focusing mainly on doing background research on her book on Modern Presidents and their Vice Presidents, I would also help compile briefing memos on current issue stances, or finding out the policy stances of various professors from key states. Multiple times, I would see my Professor Kamarck featured in newspapers such as the New York Times, talking about the research I had done for her! I loved working for Professor Kamarck - she was incredibly accesible and friendly, and always included me on her latest work and research. It definitely allowed me to hone my research skills, while focusing both on current and historical politics. I would average between 7 and 10 hours a week, with certain weeks being slightly heavier than others depending on if she had a meeting in DC or a debate in Oxford that I was helping her prep for. Overall, it was a fantastic experience which I would recommend to anyone who is interested in American politics!

-Sophie Fry ‘13