About
I'm an Assistant Professor at Farmingdale State College where I am currently teaching Intro to American Politics, Intro to Political Science, and the Politics of Taylor Swift. I received my PhD in Political Science from Stony Brook University in 2023. My research focuses on American politics, political psychology, voting behavior, and gender and politics.
I am broadly interested in elections, voter perceptions of candidates, and factors that affect perceptions of electability.
Victoria Smith (she/her)
Assistant Professor
Farmingdale State College
Research Interests: American Politics, Political Psychology, Voting Behavior, Gender and Politics, Quantitative Methods
Research
Publications
Krupnikov, Yanna, Kerri Milita, John Barry Ryan, Victoria Smith, and
Hillary Style. 2022. “Disseminating Research: Speaker Patterns in Political Science Departments” in Forum: Gendered Dynamics of
Academic Networks. International Studies Perspectives
24(2): 189–229.
Dissertation
"Effects of Candidate Traits on Perceived Electability"
"Election Safety and the Perceptions of Women Running for Office"
"Extreme Issue Statements and Perceived Gender Differences of Candidates"
Teaching
POL160: Introduction to American Politics
Fall 2020 (online), Spring 2021 (online), Summer 2022, Fall 2023
POL347: Women and Politics
(cross listed as WST347)
Winter 2021 (online), Summer 2021 (online),Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, & Spring 2023
What the informed citizen and specialist should know about the organization of American government, including the Constitution and what it means today, the Congress, political parties, pressure groups, growth of the Presidency, the Supreme Court, judicial review, federalism, separation of powers, and the Bill of Rights.
Throughout American history, women were often excluded from political institutions. Yet, in recent years women have made tremendous gains in electoral politics – the 2018 election has led to a record number of women being elected to Congress. Despite the increased presence of women in politics, women still continue to be largely under-represented (relative to their proportion in the overall American population). In this class, we will consider academic research on the role gender plays in American politics. In particular, we will address research on gender effects in elections, governance, partisan identities and political issues.
POL240A: Quantitative Analysis
Fall 2023
This course will prepare you to read, analyze, and effectively communicate research in political science. You’ll learn not only elementary statistical methods, but how to interpret and apply these findings. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll learn how to use quantitative data to tell compelling stories about relevant political issues. This course involves analytical, quantitative, and mathematical skills within the study of political science. This is a hands-on course in which you will learn about a variety of substantive areas in political science by analyzing real data and drawing your own conclusions. You will learn and practice developing research questions, forming hypotheses, identifying appropriate research measures, statistical techniques and analysis, and scholarly writing.
POL364: Politics of Mass Media
Fall 2023
Competing theories of the power of the press are tested by examining the literature on mass media effects on what the public thinks and what the public thinks about. Various explanations of why news organizations behave as they do are also assessed. Conflicts between freedom of the press and such values as privacy, national security, and the right to fair trial are discussed. The relationships between freedom of the press and the public's right to know are also explored.