Professor of Political Science
Eric R.A.N. Smith is a Professor of Political Science at UC Santa Barbara. Professor Smith's research focuses on public opinion, elections, and environmental politics. In the area of environmental politics, he has been examining public opinion toward offshore oil development and nuclear power. He recently finished a book about public opinion on energy and environmental issues, Energy, the Environment, and Public Opinion. In the area of public opinion, he has investigated problems such as how both citizens and members of Congress organize their opinions about politics, how people learn about politics, and how their knowledge influences their opinions and their behavior. In the area of elections, he has investigated problems such as the nature of party realignment, how candidate quality affects voting decisions, and how voters respond to male and female candidates.
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Professor Smith's webpage.