Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · 13d

Sad news:

The Japan Times @japantimes.co.jp · 13d

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

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · 26d

Congrats!🎉

Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Sep 3

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."

Program on US-Japan Relations, Harvard University @harvardusjapan.bsky.social · Aug 29

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

Reposted by Dan Smith

Program on US-Japan Relations, Harvard University @harvardusjapan.bsky.social · Aug 29

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

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 29

Happy to see this article now "in print" at @polbehavior.bsky.social 🎉 Open-access:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

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Reposted by Dan Smith

Jon Fiva @fiva.no · Aug 28

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.

Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 28

🎉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...

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Jon Fiva @fiva.no · Aug 28

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).

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 28

🎉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...

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 21

It would be an interesting study if someone could get anonymized access to the signals data after it pilots.

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 21

Each person gets only three signals. So everybody could signal they really want some very prestigious/desirable job, but that might not be the best strategic use of their signals.

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Reposted by Dan Smith

Comparative Study of Electoral Systems (CSES) @cses.bsky.social · Aug 5

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...

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 5

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 @apsa.bsky.social · Aug 5

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

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

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Aug 4

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

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Reposted by Dan Smith

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · Aug 1

The European Political Science Society is now accepting paper & panel proposals for its annual conference!

📢 Call for Papers: EPSS 2026 – Belfast 
🗓️ June 18–20, 2026 
📍 ICC Belfast 
📬 Deadline: Nov 7, 2025

🧵

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Reposted by Dan Smith

CSIS Japan Chair @japan.csis.org · Aug 1

Applications for the CSIS Japan Chair's paid fall internship are open. The deadline to apply is August 11.

Research Agenda:
- Japanese domestic politics and foreign policy
- U.S.-Japan security and economic ties
- U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region

careers.csis.org/opportunitie...

Careers | Center for Strategic and International Studies

CSIS is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Center’s 220 full-time staff and large network of affiliated scholars conduct research and analysis and develop polic...

careers.csis.org

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 23

Ishiba is denying reports that he will step down, but with the announcement of the trade deal, I think the pressure might increase. www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07...

Ishiba denies reports he will resign next month, leaving his fate unclear

Some media outlets had reported that the prime minister was poised to step down in the coming weeks.

www.japantimes.co.jp

Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 23

Politics moves fast sometimes. Yesterday, I was skeptical that Japan and the US would have a trade deal by the August 1 "deadline" and that PM Ishiba would hang on. Now things will get interesting... japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/pol...

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Likely to Step down Following Japan-U.S. Trade Deal

<p>Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba decided on Wednesday to step down, following the Japan-U.S. trade agreement, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.</p> <p>The president of the Liberal Democratic Party is e...

japannews.yomiuri.co.jp

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 22

Yup, we show this in our analysis of the results in Japan Decides 2012. We argued that the drop in turnout hurt the DPJ most.

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 22

I haven't seen anything about Reconstruction experiences playing any role.

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 22

According to "Inside the GHQ" by Takemae Eiji (pp. 201-202), early occupation planning was influenced by a report by a chief civil administrator for the US occupation of German Rhineland after WWI. And many specific reforms were influenced by New Deal policies.

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 19

A conjoint-like table of parties’ policy positions in the wild. These are common in election campaign coverage by Japanese newspapers. (For Sunday’s upper house election.) #JapanDecides

日経電子版 @nikkei.com · Jul 19

参院選17日間の選挙戦終了　物価高争点、財源や安保の議論深まらず
www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQO...

#参院選2025 #参議院選挙2025

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 18

So I wonder if part of the story could be how parties draw up lists, e.g., if women tend to be lower ranked; or list ranks alternate between men and women (zipper style), but men tend come first (e.g., rank #1, while women get rank #2).

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 18

Do the state-level returning officers get to choose, or does it get offered in order of list rank (how deputies are typically chosen in other list-based systems)?

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Reposted by Dan Smith

Ikuma Ogura @ikumaogura.bsky.social · Jul 16

We're hiring! The Graduate School of Social Sciences at Hitotsubashi University is seeking a non-tenure track lecturer. The application deadline is August 31, 2025 (JST). For more information, see: jrecin.jst.go.jp/seek/SeekJor...

JREC-IN | A Lecturer (non tenure-track) in political science

Career support portal site for all researchers and research staff who are pioneering innovation

jrecin.jst.go.jp

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Dan Smith @profdansmith.bsky.social · Jul 9

Read Japanese news, watch Japanese shows, make Japanese friends! You’re always welcome back to the Japanese politics community!

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