Professor Uses Math to Study Probabilities in Political Elections and Polarization

TL/DR –

Nataša Dragović, an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of St. Thomas, applies probabilities to political elections, specifically studying voter opinions and polarization. Despite her initial disinterest in political science and mathematics, she eventually focused her work on using probability to address social science issues, exploring how political opinions change over time. She is currently examining how American voters are influenced, the potential effects of ranked-choice voting, and the changes in political candidates’ stances for electoral victories, particularly in the context of voter polarization.

Nataša Dragović’s Election Probability Research

Assistant professor of mathematics at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, Nataša Dragović, recently discussed her research on election probabilities with MIT Technology Review. Her work delves into the probabilities of political election outcomes based on voter sentiment and polarization.

Nataša Dragović’s Journey and Work

Although she had no initial interest in politics or plans to follow her parents into mathematics, Serbia-born Nataša Dragović is now an assistant professor at the University of St. Thomas. Her groundbreaking work employs probability to tackle social science issues like the evolution of opinions – particularly political views.

Dragović’s Study on Voter Influence and Fair Election Outcomes

Dragović’s research focuses on American voter influence, and explores whether ranked-choice voting could result in more equitable outcomes satisfying voters better than the existing system. Her work is also probing potential models for how political candidates adjust their positions to sway elections. “What happens if voters become polarized? How does that impact the political candidate’s optimal strategy?” she asks, addressing key questions in her research.

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