Lida Maxwell is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science.  She teaches and writes about political theory, with particular interests in contemporary democratic theory, the history of political thought, and law and politics.  Professor Maxwell is currently working on a book about political trials.  Her book project, Public Trials, explores the legal and political dilemmas that arise from the intersections between law and politics in several 18th, 19th, and 20th century political trials, as well as the implications of these dilemmas for contemporary political theory and practice.

Before coming to Trinity, Professor Maxwell taught at Cornell University and the University of Illinois, Chicago.  In the classroom, Professor Maxwell’s approach is both historical and contemporary.  She challenges her students to see political theory texts in the historical context in which they emerged, while also asking students how these texts continue to pose problems and interpretive dilemmas today.  Professor Maxwell promotes a lively classroom environment that combines close and careful reading of texts with frequent discussion and debate.