Nathan K. Micatka
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About Nathan
Micatka's research focuses on policy feedback, political inequality, and how public policy experiences shape political behavior. His work examines how welfare and health programs influence political attitudes and participation, particularly during formative periods. Overarching themes include developmental policy feedback, mechanisms of policy-produced inequality, and racialized governance. Micatka combines quantitative analysis with qualitative interviews of individuals who experienced public assistance. His research has been published in Policy Studies Journal, Political Research Quarterly, and Electoral Studies. Micatka also collaborates with community organizations and social service agencies.
Contributions
Design Welfare Programs with Young People’s Civic Futures in Mind
Publications
Investigates how repeated interactions with government institutions during adolescence shape young people's political trust and civic attitudes. Finds that among non-Hispanic white individuals, initial negative experiences with the state diminish political trust, but that subsequent experiences begin to reverse this pattern as individuals learn to normalize negative treatment by the state.
Investigates whether growing up on welfare lowers turnout in young adulthood. Demonstrates that non-Hispanic white adolescents who grow up on welfare are 6–17 percentage points less likely to vote compared to those without welfare experience.
Explores how participation in government programs during adolescence influences political attitudes and partisan identity in adulthood. Finds that early experiences with public programs can shape long-term identification with the Democratic Party.