Dr. Glen Smith has pursued an active research agenda during his time at UNG focusing on partisan media and political tolerance. As the recipient of the Presidential Semester Scholar Award for 2020-2021, Dr. Smith was awarded a full-semester release from teaching and service.  The purpose of this project is to examine whether intellectual humility decreases political hostility. This project will fund a nationally representative survey including experimental treatments embedded in survey questions using quantitative analyses of close-ended survey questions, and qualitative examinations of open-ended responses.

 

Previously, Dr. Smith was awarded a Presidential Summer Scholar Award to study partisan news outlets through an internal grants program initiated by UNG President Bonita Jacobs to support productive research, scholarly and creative activities.  That award resulted in a textbook for American government that helps students learn how to engage in civil discussion of political issues.  According to the description, “Unique to this book is a section that explains how to discuss politics without feeling angry or hostile toward people who hold different beliefs. In addition, the book provides concise and accessible debates of contemporary policy issues including gun control, immigration, the Electoral College, voting, and affirmative action. For each topic, readers are shown that opposing arguments are based on values and concerns that are widely shared by most people regardless of their political leanings. Perfect for students, professors, and citizens alike, this book promotes civility without shying away from controversy.”

 

Dr. Smith’s research focuses on the causes and consequences of political hostility, and he has written articles on this topic for political science journals including: American Politics Research, Political Research Quarterly, and Public Opinion Quarterly. Summaries of his work have also been featured on political news websites such as Psypost.org and Newsweek.  Dr. Smith has also been a guest on the NPR program All Things Considered in Atlanta.