Dan Smith
@profdansmith.bsky.social
Political scientist at Penn. Comparative politics, parties, elections, electoral systems, representation, Japanese politics.
Reposted by Dan Smith
🎉 Just published! JAPAN DECIDES 2024! The most comprehensive analysis and interpretation of last year's general election in Japan––which saw the ruling LDP lose its seat majority and presaged further upheaval in 2025. E-book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Japan Decides 2024
This book provides a coherent overall explanation for understanding in the election in both historical and comparative perspective
link.springer.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
🎉 Just published! JAPAN DECIDES 2024! The most comprehensive analysis and interpretation of last year's general election in Japan––which saw the ruling LDP lose its seat majority and presaged further upheaval in 2025. E-book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
🎉 Just published! JAPAN DECIDES 2024! The most comprehensive analysis and interpretation of last year's general election in Japan––which saw the ruling LDP lose its seat majority and presaged further upheaval in 2025. E-book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Japan Decides 2024
This book provides a coherent overall explanation for understanding in the election in both historical and comparative perspective
link.springer.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
🎉 Just published! JAPAN DECIDES 2024! The most comprehensive analysis and interpretation of last year's general election in Japan––which saw the ruling LDP lose its seat majority and presaged further upheaval in 2025. E-book: link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by Dan Smith
When there's a Japan's House of Representatives race (Lower House), where the Prime Minister sits, a team of political scientists puts together a volume in the Japan Decides series (published by Springer) to cover the election's lead-up and results (thread)
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Japan Decides 2024
This book provides a coherent overall explanation for understanding in the election in both historical and comparative perspective
link.springer.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:56 PM
When there's a Japan's House of Representatives race (Lower House), where the Prime Minister sits, a team of political scientists puts together a volume in the Japan Decides series (published by Springer) to cover the election's lead-up and results (thread)
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
Reposted by Dan Smith
⏰ Asia scholars, hurry up! Applications for APARC's 2026-2028 postdoctoral fellowships are due December 1. We offer multiple positions for recent PhDs across disciplines working on diverse issues related to contemporary Asia.
👉 Learn more and join us at Stanford next fall > stanford.io/4mS1bj8
👉 Learn more and join us at Stanford next fall > stanford.io/4mS1bj8
November 21, 2025 at 5:20 PM
⏰ Asia scholars, hurry up! Applications for APARC's 2026-2028 postdoctoral fellowships are due December 1. We offer multiple positions for recent PhDs across disciplines working on diverse issues related to contemporary Asia.
👉 Learn more and join us at Stanford next fall > stanford.io/4mS1bj8
👉 Learn more and join us at Stanford next fall > stanford.io/4mS1bj8
Cool new paper by Trevor Incerti in the APSR! Political science research on Japan is undergoing a real renaissance in both its quality and relevance to the broader discipline––and a new generation of junior scholars like Trevor is leading the way.
#OpenAccess from @apsrjournal.bsky.social -
How Firms, Bureaucrats, and Ministries Benefit from the Revolving Door: Evidence from Japan - https://cup.org/43SvKxE
- TREVOR INCERTI
#FirstView
How Firms, Bureaucrats, and Ministries Benefit from the Revolving Door: Evidence from Japan - https://cup.org/43SvKxE
- TREVOR INCERTI
#FirstView
November 15, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Cool new paper by Trevor Incerti in the APSR! Political science research on Japan is undergoing a real renaissance in both its quality and relevance to the broader discipline––and a new generation of junior scholars like Trevor is leading the way.
Reposted by Dan Smith
Read "Winning Elections with Unpopular Policies: Valence Advantage and Single-Party Dominance in Japan," by
@shirokuriwaki.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social, and
@yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social in Quarterly Journal of Political Science: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta... (open-access link).
@shirokuriwaki.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social, and
@yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social in Quarterly Journal of Political Science: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta... (open-access link).
now publishers - Winning Elections with Unpopular Policies: Valence Advantage and Single-Party Dominance in Japan
Publishers of Foundations and Trends, making research accessible
www.nowpublishers.com
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Read "Winning Elections with Unpopular Policies: Valence Advantage and Single-Party Dominance in Japan," by
@shirokuriwaki.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social, and
@yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social in Quarterly Journal of Political Science: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta... (open-access link).
@shirokuriwaki.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social, and
@yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social in Quarterly Journal of Political Science: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta... (open-access link).
Join us for another exciting #JPOSS tomorrow night! Erik Wang (NYU) will present new research on state-building in medieval Japan, with discussion from Emily Sellars (Yale) and Jun Yamasaki (Kyoto). Details and registration below ⬇️
Tomorrow, 8-9 pm ET: Join us for #JPOSS #57 to discuss Erik Wang's @erik-h-wang.bsky.social paper, “Too Much But Never Enough: Administrative Capacity and Backlashes to State-building in Medieval Japan,” w/ Emily Sellars, Jun Yamasaki, & Christina Davis. Paper & registration: shorturl.at/HQsg1
Erik Wang (New York University), “Too Much But Never Enough: Administrative Capacity and Backlashes to State-building in Medieval Japan” – JPOSS
jposs.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Join us for another exciting #JPOSS tomorrow night! Erik Wang (NYU) will present new research on state-building in medieval Japan, with discussion from Emily Sellars (Yale) and Jun Yamasaki (Kyoto). Details and registration below ⬇️
Reposted by Dan Smith
New OA article w/ @shirokuriwaki.bsky.social and @profdansmith.bsky.social. Q. Why does Japan’s LDP stay dominant even when its policies aren’t preferred? A: valence > policy. Check it out here ➡️ [http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/100.00024134] #PoliSci #Japan #Elections
November 10, 2025 at 2:33 PM
New OA article w/ @shirokuriwaki.bsky.social and @profdansmith.bsky.social. Q. Why does Japan’s LDP stay dominant even when its policies aren’t preferred? A: valence > policy. Check it out here ➡️ [http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/100.00024134] #PoliSci #Japan #Elections
Call for nominations for the Richard J. Samuels Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies from the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF). us-jf.org/en/news/usjf...
USJF Now Taking Nominations for Second Annual PhD Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies
USJF is accepting nominations for the 2026 Richard J. Samuels Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies, honoring excellence in social sciences research on Japan.
us-jf.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Call for nominations for the Richard J. Samuels Dissertation Award in Japanese Studies from the United States-Japan Foundation (USJF). us-jf.org/en/news/usjf...
A very informative article explaining the conspiracy theories and ideologies motivating Japan's new far-right party, Sanseitō, which made substantial seat gains in last July's upper house election. Thanks to @rmarcantuoni.bsky.social & @robfahey.net for writing this.
How does a fringe, anti-vaccine party come to influence national politics? In this insightful article, Romeo Marcantuoni and Robert A. Fahey examine Sanseitō, a Japanese political party founded during the pandemic.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #Japan #Politics #ConspiracyTheories #APJJF
www.cambridge.org/core/journal... #Japan #Politics #ConspiracyTheories #APJJF
Fighting the Cabal from the Diet: Sanseitō and the Role of Conspiracy as Political Ideology | Asia-Pacific Journal | Cambridge Core
Fighting the Cabal from the Diet: Sanseitō and the Role of Conspiracy as Political Ideology - Volume 23
www.cambridge.org
November 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
A very informative article explaining the conspiracy theories and ideologies motivating Japan's new far-right party, Sanseitō, which made substantial seat gains in last July's upper house election. Thanks to @rmarcantuoni.bsky.social & @robfahey.net for writing this.
✨ Now at QJPS: "Winning Elections with Unpopular Policies: Valence Advantage and Single-Party Dominance in Japan" w/ @shirokuriwaki.bsky.social & @yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social. Open-access link to article: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta...
November 5, 2025 at 1:34 PM
✨ Now at QJPS: "Winning Elections with Unpopular Policies: Valence Advantage and Single-Party Dominance in Japan" w/ @shirokuriwaki.bsky.social & @yusakuhoriuchi.bsky.social. Open-access link to article: www.nowpublishers.com/article/Deta...
Reposted by Dan Smith
Tuesday, 11/4, 8-9PM ET: Join Director Christina Davis and our Faculty Associates Amy Catalinac, Saori Katada, @adampliff.bsky.social, @lipscy.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social online to discuss "Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi: What Can We Expect?"
munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/japans...
munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/japans...
Japan's New Prime Minister Takaichi: What Can We Expect?
munkschool.utoronto.ca
October 30, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Tuesday, 11/4, 8-9PM ET: Join Director Christina Davis and our Faculty Associates Amy Catalinac, Saori Katada, @adampliff.bsky.social, @lipscy.bsky.social, @profdansmith.bsky.social online to discuss "Japan's Prime Minister Takaichi: What Can We Expect?"
munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/japans...
munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/japans...
Upcoming virtual seminar: "Japan's New Prime Minister Takaichi: What Can We Expect?" Register ⬇️
iu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
iu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
October 24, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Upcoming virtual seminar: "Japan's New Prime Minister Takaichi: What Can We Expect?" Register ⬇️
iu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
iu.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Reposted by Dan Smith
One casualty in the Trump administration’s war on higher education is federal funding for area studies. This harms students, scholars, and U.S. national security.
It also comes at a time in which political science and area studies are more compatible than ever before. Read on for new research!
1/
It also comes at a time in which political science and area studies are more compatible than ever before. Read on for new research!
1/
Comparative Politics Needs Area Studies, and Area Studies Needs Comparative Politics
If you were a graduate student in political science between 1990 and 2010 or so, you probably experienced some heated debates about the future of area studies and its role in the discipline. This w…
tompepinsky.com
October 15, 2025 at 5:49 PM
One casualty in the Trump administration’s war on higher education is federal funding for area studies. This harms students, scholars, and U.S. national security.
It also comes at a time in which political science and area studies are more compatible than ever before. Read on for new research!
1/
It also comes at a time in which political science and area studies are more compatible than ever before. Read on for new research!
1/
Reposted by Dan Smith
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
October 10, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Japan, ostensibly one of the least religious countries in the world, had its political order upended by the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai. That is THE story about Friday's epochal shift in Japanese politics (thread follows):
Sad news:
Takatoshi Ito, a Columbia University professor whose role in bringing inflation targeting to Japan helped trigger one of the most aggressive monetary easing experiments in modern history, has died. He was 74.
Takatoshi Ito, Japanese inflation target advocate, dies at 74
Ito died on Sept. 20 from an unspecified illness, according to a statement on his personal website.
ebx.sh
September 24, 2025 at 5:21 PM
Sad news:
Tonight! ⬇️ #JPOSS is on a Wednesday, rather than the usual Thursday, and features Prof. Jacques Hymans (USC), with "Does official historical memory discourse move public opinion?The case of Japan’s new banknote designs."
Wed., 9/3, 8-9 pm ET: Join next #JPOSS to discuss Jacques Hymans's paper, “Official historical memory discourse and public opinion: The case of Japan’s new banknote designs” with Charles Crabtree, @yoshiono.bsky.social, and @lipscy.bsky.social. Paper and registration: jposs.org/event/hymans...
Jacques Hymans (University of Southern California), “Official historical memory discourse and public opinion: The case of Japan’s new banknote designs” – JPOSS
jposs.org
September 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Tonight! ⬇️ #JPOSS is on a Wednesday, rather than the usual Thursday, and features Prof. Jacques Hymans (USC), with "Does official historical memory discourse move public opinion?The case of Japan’s new banknote designs."
Reposted by Dan Smith
Wed., 9/3, 8-9 pm ET: Join next #JPOSS to discuss Jacques Hymans's paper, “Official historical memory discourse and public opinion: The case of Japan’s new banknote designs” with Charles Crabtree, @yoshiono.bsky.social, and @lipscy.bsky.social. Paper and registration: jposs.org/event/hymans...
Jacques Hymans (University of Southern California), “Official historical memory discourse and public opinion: The case of Japan’s new banknote designs” – JPOSS
jposs.org
August 29, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Wed., 9/3, 8-9 pm ET: Join next #JPOSS to discuss Jacques Hymans's paper, “Official historical memory discourse and public opinion: The case of Japan’s new banknote designs” with Charles Crabtree, @yoshiono.bsky.social, and @lipscy.bsky.social. Paper and registration: jposs.org/event/hymans...
Happy to see this article now "in print" at @polbehavior.bsky.social 🎉 Open-access:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
August 29, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Happy to see this article now "in print" at @polbehavior.bsky.social 🎉 Open-access:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Dan Smith
Why has women’s rise in politics been so slow even under PR?
Our new APSR paper [out today!] shows how “hidden majoritarianism” in proportional systems shapes women’s progression from entering lists to reaching top offices.
Our new APSR paper [out today!] shows how “hidden majoritarianism” in proportional systems shapes women’s progression from entering lists to reaching top offices.
🎉Now online (open access): "Hidden Majoritarianism and Women’s Career Progression in Proportional Representation Systems" at @apsrjournal.bsky.social. @alicirone.bsky.social, @teele.bsky.social, Gary Cox, @fiva.no. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
August 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Why has women’s rise in politics been so slow even under PR?
Our new APSR paper [out today!] shows how “hidden majoritarianism” in proportional systems shapes women’s progression from entering lists to reaching top offices.
Our new APSR paper [out today!] shows how “hidden majoritarianism” in proportional systems shapes women’s progression from entering lists to reaching top offices.
Reposted by Dan Smith
Norway votes in 11 days 🇳🇴
More than a century after PR was introduced, women still hold under half the seats. In Norway’s closed-list system, nomination order is decisive—women are projected to occupy ~44% of seats in 2025 (based on 2021 party seat shares across districts).
More than a century after PR was introduced, women still hold under half the seats. In Norway’s closed-list system, nomination order is decisive—women are projected to occupy ~44% of seats in 2025 (based on 2021 party seat shares across districts).
August 28, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Norway votes in 11 days 🇳🇴
More than a century after PR was introduced, women still hold under half the seats. In Norway’s closed-list system, nomination order is decisive—women are projected to occupy ~44% of seats in 2025 (based on 2021 party seat shares across districts).
More than a century after PR was introduced, women still hold under half the seats. In Norway’s closed-list system, nomination order is decisive—women are projected to occupy ~44% of seats in 2025 (based on 2021 party seat shares across districts).
🎉Now online (open access): "Hidden Majoritarianism and Women’s Career Progression in Proportional Representation Systems" at @apsrjournal.bsky.social. @alicirone.bsky.social, @teele.bsky.social, Gary Cox, @fiva.no. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
August 28, 2025 at 1:00 PM
🎉Now online (open access): "Hidden Majoritarianism and Women’s Career Progression in Proportional Representation Systems" at @apsrjournal.bsky.social. @alicirone.bsky.social, @teele.bsky.social, Gary Cox, @fiva.no. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Dan Smith
Want to work for CSES, or know someone who does?
GESIS (@gesis.org) is hiring a full-time Senior Researcher, based in Germany, in the area of International Electoral Research.
The application deadline is August 15, 2025.
For more information, see: www.gesis.org/en/institute...
GESIS (@gesis.org) is hiring a full-time Senior Researcher, based in Germany, in the area of International Electoral Research.
The application deadline is August 15, 2025.
For more information, see: www.gesis.org/en/institute...
August 5, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Want to work for CSES, or know someone who does?
GESIS (@gesis.org) is hiring a full-time Senior Researcher, based in Germany, in the area of International Electoral Research.
The application deadline is August 15, 2025.
For more information, see: www.gesis.org/en/institute...
GESIS (@gesis.org) is hiring a full-time Senior Researcher, based in Germany, in the area of International Electoral Research.
The application deadline is August 15, 2025.
For more information, see: www.gesis.org/en/institute...
This seems like a potentially useful new tool for the political science job market, particularly for jobs outside of the most competitive searches in "top" departments.
APSA #eJobsSignaling is now open! APSA members can signal employers of their interests in #poliscijobs active job postings through the APSA eJobs portal. Signals are confidential and employers get signals by August 20th.
Learn more: buff.ly/mK8G78q
Access APSA eJobs: buff.ly/feXjKmT
Learn more: buff.ly/mK8G78q
Access APSA eJobs: buff.ly/feXjKmT
eJobs Job Market Signaling - American Political Science Association (APSA)
eJobs Job Market Signaling eJobs Job Market Signaling FAQ What is Preference Signaling and Why is it Used in Higher Education Job Markets? How do I send a
buff.ly
August 5, 2025 at 5:51 PM
This seems like a potentially useful new tool for the political science job market, particularly for jobs outside of the most competitive searches in "top" departments.
In Japan's upper house election last month, the two "populist" parties did best where turnout increased most, suggesting mobilization of voters frustrated with establishment parties. Municipality-level analysis in this article, with a quote from me (in Japanese). ⬇️ digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...
参政の得票増、投票増えた自治体ほど 「変化を求めた投票の可能性」：朝日新聞
今回の参院選は参政党が得票を大きく伸ばしたが、朝日新聞が開票結果を分析すると、3年前の参院選と比べ、比例区の投票者数が増えた市区町村ほど得票の増え方が大きかったことがわかった。専門家は、新たに政治に…
digital.asahi.com
August 4, 2025 at 1:33 PM
In Japan's upper house election last month, the two "populist" parties did best where turnout increased most, suggesting mobilization of voters frustrated with establishment parties. Municipality-level analysis in this article, with a quote from me (in Japanese). ⬇️ digital.asahi.com/articles/AST...