Smith has worked on Capitol Hill in several capacities and has served as a senior fellow at the Brooking Institution and is the former director of WashU’s Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. He has also authored or co-authored six books on congressional politics and recently a book on the formation of the Russian State Duma. He is working on books on party leadership in the U.S. Senate and the nature of party effects on congressional voting. Smith also directs The American Panel Survey (TAPS), a national political opinion poll that goes out each month to the same group of about 2000 citizens.

Steven Smith
Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Contact Information
- Phone: 314-935-5697
- Email: smith@wustl.edu
- Website: Website
Media Contact
In the media
What Happens to the Federal Death Penalty in a Biden Administration?
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
While the U.S. may be closer than ever to a $15 federal minimum wage, the idea still faces stiff opposition
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
When Exactly Do Democrats Take Control in Washington?
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
‘Everybody in Washington is pretty shocked’: Democrats, GOP grapple with mixed emotions over election
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
House Democrats didn’t see ‘blue wave’ to expand majority. Here’s what we know.
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Most Americans expect cheating in the November elections
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Democrats gain new momentum in fight for Senate majority
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Trump’s impeachment trial could render verdict on Senate and key players
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
What to expect when you’re expecting a Senate impeachment trial
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
What to expect when you’re expecting a Senate impeachment trial
Today’s Democrats want a guarantee that they can call witnesses. Republicans say they have the votes to follow the 1999 process, which allowed a motion on witnesses after the initial stages of the process, writes Steve Smith.
House Votes to Impeach President Trump
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
A Government Shutdown Might Be a Distraction From Impeachment—But It Would Be a Huge Risk for Trump
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Delay in Military Aid for Ukraine Stymied Lawmakers for Weeks
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
As 2020 Race Intensifies, Democrats Step Up Offensive Against Mitch McConnell
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Impeachment 101: How could Congress remove President Trump from office?
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Why Nobody Wants to Be a Senator Anymore
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
California’s Dianne Feinstein wins fifth full term in U.S. Senate
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Trump Rallies GOP as Kavanaugh Charges Resonate in Senate Races
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Democrats flood airwaves with health care ads, while GOP spots tout Trump in 2018 midterms
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
‘Pivot counties’ will be key in fight for Senate control
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
With Tax Overhaul, Susan Collins Stretches Her Political Powers
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
What’s next for the tax bill?
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
What’s worse than Roy Moore losing an election? For Republicans, it might be winning one
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Majority of Americans feel ‘forgotten’ by government
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Commentary: Why the Fight Over Neil Gorsuch Could End the Senate as We Know It
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
McCaskill cheers Clinton; Blunt mum on GOP contenders
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Donald Trump Makes False Claims About Intel Report on Russian Hacking
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Trump won by rejecting the political rules. Will the GOP Senate give him more leeway with Cabinet nominees?
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
FBI’s latest decision on emails gives late boost to Senate Dems
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
McCaskill cheers Clinton; Blunt mum on GOP contenders
Steven Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science
Stories
Is compromise possible in a split Senate?
While there are no formal rules about how the Senate should function in the event of an even split, there is a template, says an expert on congressional politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
Majority of all voters say climate change is real; more Democrats consider it a problem
A recent survey conducted by the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis found that a majority of voters — 95% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans — recognize evidence for climate change. But partisans differ in how serious they view the issue, what they believe is causing global warming and their support for policies to address the problem.
2020 election talk: Voter confidence in U.S. presidential results
Recently, Washington University in St. Louis political experts Steven Smith, Betsy Sinclair and Andrew Reeves sat down to discuss the reliability of the 2020 polls, as well as election integrity and voter confidence in the election outcome.
2020 election talk: Congressional races
Three political science experts at Washington University in St. Louis discuss the battle for control of the U.S. Senate and House. This roundtable discussion is the first of a two-part 2020 election series aimed to help listeners better understand the news, polls and issues in this year’s election.
Supreme nomination system ‘makes no sense’
Daniel Epps, associate professor in the School of Law at Washington University in St. Louis, and Steven Smith, Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Science, weigh in on who has the most to lose before the election if a nomination is completed, how this situation differs from the Senate-stalled Merrick Garland nomination in 2016 and why the nomination system needs to change.
Most Americans expect cheating in the November elections
Who leads on election night, which may change as mail-in and challenged ballots are counted after Election Day, is surely to influence who considers the vote count to be accurate. This could get ugly. Just how ugly will be determined by the quality of election administration and the rhetoric of political leaders.
Rigged election? Partisans view threats to election integrity differently
Even before they cast their votes, partisans of different stripes are poised to question the legitimacy of the election outcome, but for different reasons. According to political scientist Steven Smith at Washington University in St. Louis, findings of The American Social Survey, sponsored by the university’s Weidenbaum Center, indicate that the intensity of candidate and media attention about voting fraud threats — real or not — is influencing views of the legitimacy of the election outcome in November.
What to expect when you’re expecting a Senate impeachment trial
To govern all this, once the trial begins, a simple majority of the Senate can adopt supplementary rules — including the currently contentious question of the timing of motions to call witnesses, which largely divides senators along party lines.
Survey: Electorate wants candidates, parties to act on climate change
In a November wave of The American Social Survey conducted by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, political scientists polled likely primary voters to find that — despite consensus among Democratic candidates and the Trump administration’s actions to repeal environmental regulations — the two parties’ electorates don’t match their candidates’ stances on climate change.
Impeachment ball in Senate’s court
Whatever impeachment moves the Democratic-majority U.S. House of Representatives makes next, it’s ultimately up to the Republican-controlled and administration-friendly Senate to hold a trial on the matter — and Washington University in St. Louis political scientist Steve Smith anticipates the Senate could make a number of moves to avoid the issue.
Republican Congress got tax bill victory, but at what price?
Congressional Republicans agree on tax cuts more than they agree on nearly any other issue. Tax cuts have been central to Republican economic policy since the mid-20th century.
Americans divided on Obamacare repeal, poll finds
As House Republicans struggle to define a new plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), public support for the 2010 legislation is at an all-time high, according to a national survey taken in January by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis.
WashU Expert: Republican push for REINS Act could backfire, says congressional expert
Conservative columnist George Will is encouraging Republicans to have the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act passed through the U.S. Congress and ready for Donald Trump’s signature on his first day in office.
While some see the REINS Act as a way for Congress to reassert its power to control the regulatory rulemaking process, an immediate push for its passage could force the first big battle over Democrats’ use of the filibuster and make it more complicated for Republicans to repeal Obamacare, says Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
WashU Expert: Lots of filibustering ahead
With Donald Trump in the White House and Republican majorities in both the House and Senate, Democrats will be looking to use the filibuster and other procedural options to exert as much influence as possible over Supreme Court nominations and other issues on the Trump-Republican agenda, suggests Steven S. Smith, a nationally recognized expert on congressional politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
Poll reveals why Sanders, Clinton must straddle liberal v. progressive divide
Recent national polls from political researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are shedding light on how American voters react to candidates who bill themselves as liberals or progressives — findings that may explain the strategies Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton and other politicians are using as they play to voter demographics in states across the nation.
WashU Expert: Boehner unable to pacify ‘no compromise’ Tea Party
While party politics have put House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) in the hot seat in recent months, his hasty resignation from Congress this morning was unexpected, suggests Steven S. Smith, PhD, a nationally recognized expert on congressional politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
Jon Huntsman Jr: ‘Opportunities and Challenges Facing America Today’
Jon Huntsman Jr., a former Republican presidential candidate and ambassador to China, visited WUSTL recently and discussed challenges facing America. Read more to check out his Feb. 25 speech for the Assembly Series.
Former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. to discuss opportunities, challenges ahead for our nation
Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Jr. assesses our nation’s status at the next Assembly Series presentation, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25. in Graham Chapel. The event is free and open to the public, though seating for the public will be limited due to an anticipated large campus turnout. Visit the Assembly Series website for more information or call 314-935-4620.
Weidenbaum Center forum to focus on election and economy
The Weidenbaum Center will host a panel discussion, “The Election and the Economy,” at 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, in the Bryan Cave Moot Courtroom in Anheuser-Busch Hall.
Most Americans, including Romney supporters, favor higher tax on rich, survey finds
President Barack Obama lately has been arguing for
increased taxes on the rich through his proposed “Buffett Rule,” which
would ensure that millionaires and billionaires pay a minimum effective
tax rate of 30 percent on their income. Most Americans, including supporters of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, support such a move, finds The American Panel Survey (TAPS), a new Washington University in St. Louis survey.
Public attitudes toward federal spending, taxes deeply divided, new poll finds
The American public exhibits deep partisan divisions
about the direction that federal fiscal policy should take, finds a new
national survey from the Weidenbaum Center at Washington University in St. Louis. The American Panel Survey will take place monthly, and will measure shifts in attitudes over time.
‘The Dysfunctional Senate’
Against a backdrop of harsh partisan political rancor, Steven S. Smith, PhD, the Kate M. Gregg Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, will present a series of three lectures in November on “The Dysfunctional Senate.”
WUSTL experts comment on debt ceiling debate
Discussion of the federal debt ceiling has dominated the front page recently. Several Washington University in St. Louis faculty experts, all members of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy, have offered their opinions to the news media on the history of the debt ceiling and what may happen if a deal is not reached.
Filibuster reforms set for debate Jan. 25 should appeal to Republicans, expert suggests
When the Senate convenes Jan. 25, it is expected to weigh a resolution to reform the filibuster rule and eliminate secret holds — protocols that many have blamed for encouraging congressional gridlock. Although the proposal is put forth by the Democratic majority in the Senate, it contains a series of relatively modest changes that should hold some appeal to the Senate’s Republiican minority, suggests congressional expert Steven S. Smith, PhD.
Reporter’s guide to filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate
Reporters covering the Senate and citizens watching from the sidelines will welcome a new guide to the upcoming battle over the filibuster from one of the preeminent authorities on Congress. Political science professor Steven S. Smith has prepared a primer outlining proposals and procedures for reforming the Senate’s rules pertaining to filibusters. Get ready for the opening of the 112th Congress and a possible showdown over the parliamentary procedure that has been used to block legislation by both parties and famously by Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.
Steve Smith forecasts friction and obstruction in next Congress
In the wake of the 2010 election, Washington University in St. Louis congressional expert Steve Smith looks ahead to the next Congress and how the new majority in the House of Representatives and Republican gains in the Senate will affect President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda.
Expert proposes end to ‘parliamentary warfare’ over filibusters
Mr. Smith went to Washington, again. Instead of staging a filibuster, Steven S. Smith, PhD, political science professor and parliamentary procedure expert testified Sept. 22 before the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration on proposed rule changes governing debate and cloture.
Byrd was staunch defender of Senate traditions, says congressional expert
The U.S. Senate lost one of its staunchest defenders and most influential leaders with the death Monday, June 28, of long-serving Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia. “The death of Robert Byrd is important,” says Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis. “He was first and foremost a senator. He loved the Senate and was the strongest defender of its traditions.”
Expert says U.S. Senate needs to reform its rules
Steven Smith, director of the Weidenbaum Center and political science professor is calling for filibuster reform in the U.S. Senate. And he’s taking his message to Capitol hill.Smith is participating in a conference sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center and the Brookings Institution on the “State of the Senate” May 17 in Washington D.C. On May 19, Smith will testify before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration to argue his case for reform of the rules that are obstructing and restricting the legislative role of the Senate.
Expert predicts public’s distrust in government won’t hurt dems in mid-term elections
America’s satisfaction with government is hovering at all time lows according to recent polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center, but don’t assume these sentiments spell doom for the Democratic Party in coming elections, says a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Republican ‘vote-a-rama’ could stall health care reform bill
Congressional expert Steven S. Smith says Congress has plenty of parliamentary tactics for stalling and pushing through legislation. The fate of the health care reform bill could be determined by a process of reconciliation, filibusters, deeming or something Smith calls a “vote-a-rama”.
Democrats’ end-run on health care could escalate Senate parliamentary arms race, expert predicts
As President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress head for a final showdown over long-stalled health-care reform legislation, pundits are struggling to explain an array of arcane congressional rules and protocols that may determine whether health care reform passes or dies on the vine. Many of these pundits are getting it wrong, suggests WUSTL congressional expert Steven S. Smith, Ph.D.
‘Politics and the Global Recession’ focus of public forum Feb. 25
The intricately intertwined relationship between the global economy and politics will be the focus of a public forum titled “Politics and the Global Recession” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25 in the Knight Center. The program is being sponsored by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy.
Despite move to Democrats, Specter likely to vote outside the fold
SmithPennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter’s decision to switch his allegiance to the Democratic Party will likely raise further questions about the Republican Party’s ability to appeal to moderate voters, but Democrats should realize that Specter will remain fairly independent in his voting on key issues, including ongoing opposition to pro-union “card check” provisions, suggests Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
‘Politics as usual’ complicate push for bi-partisan stimulus bill, expert says
Smith
As the White House pleads for bipartisan support of a massive federal stimulus plan, congressional Democrats and Republicans are maneuvering, strategizing, nervously seeking partners in an awkward legislative first dance that may determine whether Barack Obama makes good on his promise to bring change to Washington, suggests Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Iowa’s special role in primaries may end in 2008, expert suggests
SmithThe 2008 Iowa Caucuses may be the last time the conservative Midwestern state exerts such a huge influence on the presidential nomination process, predicts WUSTL expert Steven S. Smith.
Iowa’s special role in primaries may end in 2008, expert suggests
Steven SmithToday’s Iowa Caucuses may be the last in which the largely rural, sparsely populated and predominately white conservative Midwestern state exerts such a huge influence on the presidential nomination process, predicts Steven S. Smith, a political expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Bush power struggle with Congress poses messy constitutional, political issues, expert says
Steven SmithBy claiming far-reaching and unprecedented executive privilege in its power struggles with the U.S. Congress, the Bush White House has roiled the political waters, forcing both Democrats and Republicans to weigh near-term political consequences of their response against a real and tangible threat to the long-term constitutional powers of Congress, suggests a congressional expert from Washington University in St. Louis.
White House will likely dodge congressional contempt charges, expert suggests
Steven SmithWhile members of the U.S. House and Senate are threatening to hold White House officials in contempt of Congress over the administration’s efforts to withhold testimony in an ongoing investigation of the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys, the dispute is likely to fizzle without much of a showdown, suggests a congressional expert from Washington University in St. Louis.
Bush’s State of Union may be least consequential in a generation, suggests congressional expert
Steven SmithPresident George W. Bush’s State of the Union address on Jan. 23 may be remembered as one of the least consequential State of the Union addresses in a generation, but its presentation could open the door on a period of real legislative compromise as both parties struggle to boster reputations in advance of the 2008 elections, suggests Steven Smith, an expert on congressional politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Video Available
Post-election Democrats will push popular agenda, appeal to moderates, expert says
Steven SmithIf Democrats want to expand their House and Senate majorities, they need to protect new members who were elected from Republican-leaning districts while showing they can govern by passing a limited popular agenda: “Satisfying the base while appealing to moderates is squarely the central strategic problem for both parties in the new Congress,” suggests Steven S. Smith, a congressional expert at Washington University in St. Louis.
Democrats’ closing of Senate session offers taste of tactics for battling Supreme Court nomination
SmithBy invoking a little known procedural rule to force a closed session of the Senate on Tuesday, Democratic Minority Leader Harry Reid put Republicans on notice that Democrats are prepared to use similar tactics, such as the filibuster, in pending Supreme Court nomination battles, suggests WUSTL congressional expert Steven Smith. Reid’s move “was a shot across the bow,” says Smith.
A political mind
Steven S. Smith, Ph.D., one of the nation’s premier congressional scholars, got his foot in the door of the U.S. Senate by holding it open — literally. Smith, the Kate M. Gregg Professor of Social Sciences in Arts & Sciences, got his first taste of the Senate in the early 1970s while working as a […]
Republican threats of “nuclear option” put United States at brink of parliamentary war, suggests congressional expert Steven Smith
SmithSenate Majority Leader Bill Frist is playing with fire when he suggests that Republicans will deploy the so-called “go nuclear” option to prevent Democrats from using filibusters to block controversial judicial nominations expected to reach the floor in mid-to-late February, says congressional expert Steven S. Smith.
Republicans have nothing to gain from planned 30-hour Senate debate, says congressional expert
SmithSenate Republicans and Democrats are preparing for a 30-hour marathon debate on judicial nominations starting about 6 p.m. Nov. 12 and running as long as early morning on Friday, Nov. 14. Republican senators say they want the country to know that Democrats are stalling judicial nominations made by President Bush. Democrats have filibustered on four recent Bush appeals court nominations and may use similar tactics on future nominees. Congressional expert Steven Smith says this is business as usual in Congress and that Republicans have used the same tactics in the past.
Democrats ‘are in a bad way’ for 2004 elections; liberal and moderate wings of party may duke it out
Campaign 2004 will be a rough and tumble, says Steven S. Smith, Ph.D.While most 2004 campaign coverage remains fixated on the wild and crazy race for the Democratic presidential nomination, the 2004 election also promises to be especially challenging for Democrats seeking seats in the House and Senate. The Democrats are in for a fight in 2004, and the liberal and more moderate factions of the party may likely be their own worst enemy if they engage in a political and philosophical battle for the hearts and minds of voters. “The Democrats are in a bad way in 2004,” said Steven Smith, Ph.D., an authority on congressional politics and the Kate M. Gregg Professor of Social Sciences in Arts & Sciences.