Professor Bednar’s research combines positive political theory and systems theory to study how formal institutions, such as laws, electoral rules, or constitutions, remain effective in complex environments. She considers institutions not in isolation but as part of a system and focus on (i) how institutional interactions can improve functionality (ii) how institutional features enable systemic response to perturbations and (iii) how the interplay between culture and institutions contributes to social achievements. Her research falls into three broad categories: the first includes a book and several papers that address the robustness of federal systems, the second consists of theoretical and experimental work on cultural evolution and institutional performance, and the third contains essays, an empirical paper, and public policy related projects that push my ideas into more applied realms such as campaign contributions, transboundary water systems, and environmental sustainability.