Dr. Kerbel is the Department Chairperson and Professor of political science at Villanova University and author, co-author or editor of eight books on the mass media and politics, the presidency, elections, and political parties. His book Netroots explores the emerging influence of social media on national politics and the potential for the Internet to re-engage ordinary citizens in the political process after decades of declining political participation.

 

His interest in political engagement stems from his earlier work on the connection between television news and civic disengagement, including the book If It Bleeds, It Leads: An Anatomy of Television News. He is co-author of the 2012 Oxford University Press title Party On! which explores the emergence, fall, and re-birth of American political parties, emphasizing the role played by new media in party functions. A graduate of the University of Michigan, Dr. Kerbel is a former radio news reporter and television news writer for the Public Broadcasting Service.