Dr. Natalie Rauscher

Natalie Rauscher is a research associate in the field of political science at the Heidelberg Center for American Studies. Her research interests include discourses on the future of work as well as the rise of the platform economy in the United States. She is also working on other topics like social movements, social media, American philanthropy and think tanks, and the impact of natural catastrophes in the United States. In December 2020, she successfully completed her Ph.D. in American Studies. Her dissertation is titled: The Discourse on the Future of Work in the United States under the Influence of Automation and the Platform Economy.

Natalie Rauscher is co-founder of and contributor to the HCA Graduate Blog. In 2021-2022 she was awarded the Young Marsilius Fellowship. Since 2024, Natalie Rauscher and Gordon Friedrichs are leading the project In the Age of the Polycrisis, funded by the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the state of Baden-Württemberg.

• Political science with a focus on the USA
• U.S. Economic Policy 
• American Foundations and Philanthropy
• Natural Disasters in the USA
• Women in U.S. Society and Politics 
• Quantitative and Qualitative Discourse Analysis 
• Polycrises
• American Philanthropy 
• Natural Disasters and Climate Change 
• The Future of Work and Technological Change
• The Platform Economy

Science Communication through talks, podcasts, interviews, panel discussions, (blog) articles 

Since 2021: Post-doctoral Research Associate at the HCA (Teaching and Research) 
2022: Visiting Scholar, Notre Dame University, USA
2020: PhD in American Studies, University of Heidelberg
2019-2021: Research Associate, HCA 
2016-2020: Ph.D. Candidate in the HCA Ph.D. Program, funded by the Heidemarie Engelhorn Scholarship
2015: MA in American Studies, University of Heidelberg
2013: BA in English Literature, Culture and Linguistics, Political Science, University of Heidelberg and St. Mary’s College

• Since 2024: Leader of the project In the Age of the Polycrisis, WIN-Kolleg, Heidelberg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
• 2021-2022: Fellow, Young-Marsilius-Fellowship for Interdisciplinarity and Science Communication 
• Founder and Editor of the HCA Graduate Blog
• Coordination of HCA Social Media
• Coordination of HCA PhD Program and Rolf-Kentner Dissertationprize 

Rauscher, Natalie (2024) “In the Face of Disaster: Narratives of Community Vulnerability and Resilience in Media Coverage of Natural Catastrophes in the USA.” In: Vulnerability: Real, Imagined, and Displayed Fragility in Language and Society (Interdisziplinäre Verortungen der Angewandten Linguistik). Hrsg.: Silvia Bonacchi. V&R, Göttingen. (peer-reviewed) 
Rauscher, Natalie (2024) Participation in American Culture and Society. Hrsg.: Philip Löffler, Margit Peterfy, Natalie Rauscher, Welf Werner. Heidelberg: Winter. 
Rauscher, Natalie (2023) “American Philanthropy in the Age of Political Polarization: Conservative Megadonors and Foundations and Their Role in Spreading Climate Skepticism.” Politische Vierteljahresschrift. (peer-reviewed)
(2023) „Technologischer Wandel und die Zukunft der Arbeit in den USA – Zwischen Innovation, Verunsicherung und Reform.“ In C. Lammert, M. Siewert & B. Vormann (Hrsg.): Handbuch Politik USA. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.
Rauscher, Natalie und Anath, S. (2022): “Can (Mega) Philanthropy Cure the World? Global Health, HIV/AIDS and the Gates Foundation.” HCA Graduate Blog.
Rauscher, Natalie und Thunert, M. (2022): „Die Idee des bedingungslosen Grundeinkommens in Nordamerika – Debatten und Pilotprojekte in den USA und Kanada.“ Zeitschrift für Politikberatung/Policy Advice and Political Consulting. (4) 2016. pp. 191-202.
Rauscher, Natalie und Werner, W. (2022): “Why Has Catastrophe Mitigation Failed in the U.S.?” Zeitschrift für Politikberatung/Policy Advice and Political Consulting. (4) 2016. pp. 149-173. (peer-reviewed)
Rauscher, Natalie und Thunert, M. (2022): “Economic Policy Think Tanks in Germany and the United States and their Strategies of Policy Advice.” Zeitschrift für Politikberatung/Policy Advice and Political Consulting. (4) 2016. pp. 174-190. (peer-reviewed)
Rauscher, Natalie (2021) "The Future of Work in the United States: Discourses on Automation and the Platform Economy." Contributions to Economics. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Rauscher, Natalie und Schäfer, M. (2020): “Leveling the Playing Field – Kommunikationsstrategien und Ungleichheitsnarrative des linken Diskurses im Umfeld der Demokratischen Partei der USA.“ Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, Special Issue: Narrative ökonomischer Ungleichheit. (peer-reviewed)
Rauscher, Natalie (2019) “Future Unknown: How Digital Technologies and the ‘Future of Work’ Are Unsettling America.” In M. Oswald (Hrsg.): Mobilization, Representation, and Responsiveness in the American Democracy. London: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 175-189.
Rauscher, Natalie (2018) „Von Occupy Wall Street zu den ‘nasty women’ – Digitale Kommunikation als Partizipationsmöglichkeit neuer Protestströmungen.“ In M. Oswald und M. Johann (Hrsg.): Strategische Politische Kommunikation im digitalen Wandel. Wiesbaden: Springer VS.