Rogers M. Smith’s work as a political scientist focuses on public law, American political thought, and political theory, particularly issues of citizenship, race, ethnicity, and gender. He has been recognized for his groundbreaking work on identifying competing traditions of American national identity, and his 1997 book Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize in history.
Smith is also co-editor (with Lee Epstein) of The ANNALS volume 713: Donald J. Trump, the Supreme Court, and American Constitutionalism.
Professional positions
- 2001–present: Christopher H. Browne Distinguished Professor of Political Science (Emeritus 2022–present), University of Pennsylvania
- 1980–2001: Assistant (1980–1985), associate (1985–1989), and full (1989–2001) professor of political science and Alfred Cowles Professor of Government (1999–2001), Yale University
Notable publications
- Smith, Rogers M., and Desmond King. 2024. America’s New Racial Battle Lines: Protect Versus Repair. University of Chicago Press.
- King, Desmond S., and Rogers M. Smith. 2005. “Racial Orders in American Political Development.” American Political Science Review 99(1): 75–92.
- Smith, Rogers M. 1997. Civic Ideals: Conflicting Visions of Citizenship in U.S. History. Yale University Press.
- Smith, Rogers M. 1993. “Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal, and Hartz: The Multiple Traditions in America.” American Political Science Review 87(3): 549–566.
Degrees
- PhD, political science, Harvard University
- MA, political science, Harvard University
- BA, political science, James Madison College, Michigan State University
