Steven S. Smith (born July 8, 1953) is Professor of Political Science at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Tempe, Arizona, United States. Founded in 1885 as Territorial Normal School by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, the university is o ...

. He also is the Kate M. Gregg Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Political Science at

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

. For many years, he was the Director of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, He served on the faculties of

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...

Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...

, and the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

and was a senior fellow at the

Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution, often stylized as Brookings, is an American think tank that conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics (and tax policy), metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, global econo ...

. Smith is one of the leading scholars of legislative institutions and congressional politics. He served as editor of '' Legislative Studies Quarterly'' and chaired the Legislative Studies Section of the

American Political Science Association The American Political Science Association (APSA) is a professional association of political scientists in the United States. Founded in 1903 in the Tilton Memorial Library (now Tilton Hall) of Tulane University in New Orleans, it publishes four ...

. Smith's popular "Steve's Notes on Congressional Politics" provides short background essays on important feature of congressional policy making. Smith has authored or edited many books on U.S. congressional politics and parliamentary politics in

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, including a 2014 book, ''The Senate Syndrome.'' Smith's books include "Steering the Senate: The Emergence of Party Organization and Leadership, 1789–2024" (Cambridge University Press), with Gerald Gamm, ''The Senate Syndrome: The Evolution of Procedure Warfare in the Modern U.S. Senate'' (Univ of Oklahoma Press), ''Party Influence in Congress'' (Cambridge), ''Call to Order: Floor Politics in the House and Senate'' (Brookings), ''Politics or Principle:

Filibuster A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...

ing in the United States Senate'' (Brookings), with Sarah Binder, ''The Politics of Institutional Choice: The Formation of the

Russian State Duma The State Duma is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, with the upper house being the Federation Council. It was established by the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993. The Duma headquarters are located in central Mos ...

'' (Princeton), with Thomas Remington, and ''Politics Over Process: Partisan Conflict and Post-Passage Processes in the U.S. Congress'' (University of Michigan Press), with Hong Min Park and Ryan J. Vander Wielen. Smith's textbook on congressional politics, ''The American Congress'', is in its tenth edition; the later editions were coauthored with Jason Roberts and Ryan Vander Wielen. Smith edited popular readers for

undergraduates Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

: ''The Principles and Practices of American Politics'' (

CQ Press CQ Press, a division of SAGE Publishing, publishes books, directories, periodicals, and electronic products on American government and politics, with an expanding list in international affairs and journalism and mass communication. History Nelso ...

), seven editions with Samuel Kernell, and ''The American Congress Reader'' (Cambridge), with Roberts and Vander Wielen. Smith's edited volume, ''Reforming the Presidential Nomination Process'', with Melanie Jane Springer, was published by Brookings in 2009.

External links

Wash U Homepage

ASU Page

APSA Award

Steve's Notes on Congressional Politics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Steven S. Living people University of Minnesota alumni American political scientists 1953 births George Washington University faculty Northwestern University faculty University of Minnesota faculty Washington University in St. Louis faculty American textbook writers American book editors American political writers American male non-fiction writers