Smith

Jacob Smith

PhD Candidate in Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Areas of Expertise:
  • Public Sector Reforms
  • State & Local Government
  • Voting

Connect with Jacob

About Jacob

Smith is interested in the factors affecting the actions taken by political actors ranging from legislative candidates to voters. He is also interested in how different public policies relate to varied outcomes, particularly those affecting the number of gun deaths in the American states. 

Briefs | Podcast | Publications | In the News

Briefs

How Incumbents Use Official Prerogatives to Generate Free Political Advertising

SSN Key Findings,

Podcast

Publications

"What is a Wave?: Defining Congressional Wave Elections Throughout History," Southern Political Science Association, 2016.

Provides a definition for congressional wave elections using the seat level and seat change in a congressional election compared to recent congressional elections.

"Party Committee Targeting and the Evolution of Competition in U.S. House Elections" (with with Jason Roberts and Sarah Treul). Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, and Parties 26, no. 1 (2016): 96-114.

Finds the increased party financial efforts in congressional elections has minimal effect on overall seat turnover between the parties but that recruitment of experienced candidates has the potential to increase the number of competitive seats.

"The Elevator Effect: Advertising, Priming, and the Rise of Cherie Berry" (with Neil Weinberg). American Politics Research 44, no. 3 (2016): 496-522.

Discusses elected North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Cherie Berry’s decision to place her picture on official elevator inspection placards in North Carolina in 2005, which increased her vote share in future elections by increasing her positive name recognition with voters.

"Chamber Competitiveness, Political Polarization, and Candidate Decisions to Run for Office," Midwest Political Science Association, 2016.

Shows that the competitiveness of legislative majorities and the extent to which majorities are polarized affects candidate’s decisions on whether to run for that legislative body.

In the News

"How an Elevator Can be a Key to a Candidate's Electoral Success," Jacob Smith, London School of Economics, October 5, 2015.
"Cherie Berry Put Her Picture in Every North Carolina Elevator. Here’s How That Affected Her Reelection," Jacob Smith, The Washington Post, April 14, 2016.
"How to Tell if 2016 is a Wave Election," Jacob Smith, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, August 25, 2016.
"For Democrats to Win Back the House, the First Step is Believing They Can," Jacob Smith, Daily Kos Elections, February 21, 2017.