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Nicholas Rush Smith

@nickrushsmith.bsky.social
294 followers 271 following 37 posts

Reader in Politics and IR at @soasuni.bsky.social. Researcher @UJoburg. Co-Editor-in-Chief @comppol.bsky.social. Studies crime, police, vigilantism, ethnographic, interpretive, qual methods, 🇿🇦.

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Reposted by Nicholas Rush Smith
SOAS Politics @soaspolitics.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
A brilliant three days at the School of Methods at SOAS. We welcomed students from across SOAS, participants from fifteen universities around the UK, and a visiting scholar from the University of Konstanz in Germany. Thank you to everyone who joined us and to our supporters and partners. #SOAS
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Delighted to see "How Cases Speak to One Another" in APSR! It provides a new way for scholars to think about how their work produces broad insights beyond the cases from which they developed their original theories. It's OA, so read and use it! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
cambridge.org
How Cases Speak to One Another: Using Translation to Rethink Generalization in Political Science Research | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core
How Cases Speak to One Another: Using Translation to Rethink Generalization in Political Science Research - Volume 120 Issue 1
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 18/12/2025
New article on Fast Track by Sanghoon Kim-Leffingwell and Yujeong Yang, “The Political Legacy of Anti-Chinese Violence in Indonesia,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
New article on Fast Track by Olena Nikolayenko, “Emotional Contagion and Labor Mobilization in an Autocracy,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny... @fordhamposc.bsky.social
ingentaconnect.com
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
New article on Fast Track by Benedikt Bender, Katharina Bluhm, Stanislav Klimovich, Sabine Kropp, Ulla Pape, and Claudius Wagemann, “Why Are State-Business Relations Formalized in Russia’s Authoritarian Regime? A Set-Theoretic Analysis,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
What's in a title? A lot, if this awesome new article in @comppol.bsky.social by Adam Almqvist is anything to judge by. Why would autocrat governments create NGOs, an ostensibly independent source of power? Find out 👇 www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
GONGOs, Zombies, and Astroturfers...se of Jordanian Youth Governance: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Ajay Verghese @ajayverghese.bsky.social · 07/11/2025
Check out my review of some exciting new books in qualitative methods!
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Sara Wallace Goodman @saragoodman.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Quite an honor to be reviewed by @ajayverghese.bsky.social -- and in such great company! It was a privilege to work with Jen to bring Doing Good Qualitative Research into the world, and I’m thrilled that Ajay saw the book as the public good we hoped it would be.
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Macartan Humphreys @macartan.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Very nice and really thoughtful review of new work on qualitative methods (with some fair criticisms of our *Integrated Inferences* book!). Looking forward now to spending more time reading *Doing Good Qualitative Research* and *Qualitative Literacy* Thanks for sharing and engaging!
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Check out The Qualitative Metamorphosis in @comppol.bsky.social! Great review by @ajayverghese.bsky.social of books by @saragoodman.bsky.social, Jen Cyr, @marioluissmall.bsky.social, Jessica Calarco, @alanjacobs.bsky.social, and @macartan.bsky.social. 👇 www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
Review Article: The Qualitative Metamorphosis: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
I'm honored to have become co-Editor-in-Chief of Comparative Politics, alongside Eva Bellin of Brandeis. After thirty years of amazing service, Lenny Markowitz and Ken Erickson, have passed the torch. Along with our extraordinary editorial committee, I'm excited to see the journal into its next era.
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
A New Era of Editorial Leadership at Comparative Politics With the first issue of the 58th volume of Comparative Politics, we mark a change in the guard of the leadership of the journal.
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Robin L Turner @robinlturnerphd.blacksky.app · 06/09/2025
You're invited to learn more about interpretive methods at the 20th annual IMM Methods Cafe at #APSA2025! Sept. 11, 4-5:30 pm, Marriot Point Grey Room.
20th  annual Methods Café Thursday, September 11th
4:00-5:30 pm PDT, Marriott Point Grey Room.
The Interpretive Methods and Methodologies group is delighted to host our 20th annual Methods Café, an opportunity for social scientists at all career levels to learn more about interpretive methods in an informal setting. 
Read more about the Methods Café, topics, and experts here: https://www.interpretivemethods.com/methods-cafe-2025
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Cas Mudde @casmudde.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
This is the kind of article APSR used to be famous for. The ones that make your brain explode, that challenge you, confuse you, test your patience, and make you smarter by making you realize your limitations. Well done Erica Simmons and @nickrushsmith.bsky.social‬ 👏
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
New article on Fast Track by @kaimthaler.bsky.social “From Insurgent to Incumbent: Ideology, Rebel Governance, and Statebuilding after Rebel Victory in Civil Wars,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
From Insurgent to Incumbent: Ideo...fter Rebel Victory in Civil Wars: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Interpretive Methodologies and Methods APSA @interpretivemm.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
For those podcast inclined, Nick Cheesman's Interpretive Political and Social Science podcast series on the New Books Network is an excellent resource, with interviews of exemplary authors and editors of interpretivist works: newbooksnetwork.com/category/spe...
newbooksnetwork.com
New Books Network - New Books Network
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Great conversation here in the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social political science feed on Marcus Kreuzer’s wonderful book on comparative historical analysis and ways to synthesize positivist and interpretive approaches to the study of history. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/n...
podcasts.apple.com
Marcus Kreuzer,
Podcast Episode · New Books in Political Science · 04/22/2025 · 59m
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Excited to see my new article with Erica Simmons out in APSR FirstView! We argue that when social scientists extend their arguments to new cases, they are often not generalizing their findings, but translating them to new contexts instead. Want to know more? Read it. It's open access. 👇
cambridge.org
How Cases Speak to One Another: Using Translation to Rethink Generalization in Political Science Research | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core
How Cases Speak to One Another: Using Translation to Rethink Generalization in Political Science Research
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
Colleagues who use interpretive methods in all or part of their work, check out the awards call below. There are awards for books, articles, and student conference papers on offer from APSA’s IMM group. Get your awesome work recognized!
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Yuna Blajer de la Garza @tunablazer.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
If you are interested in interpretive methods, I hope you can join the @interpretivemm.bsky.social tomorrow for the research presentations of our Spotlight Scholars! mailchi.mp/ad01ac9a3016...
mailchi.mp
TOMORROW - March 21: Spotlight Scholars Research Presentations
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Delighted for the opportunity to discuss the politics of inequality with an extraordinary group of scholars last week at @mortaracenter.bsky.social. Left with my mind blown by colleagues’ work. Folks in this photo are reinventing how we think about inequality. A lot of important work is on the way!
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
New article on Fast Track by Omar Báez and Kent Eaton, “Recentralization in Mexico: Reconfiguring the Center in Intergovernmental Relations,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
Recentralization in Mexico: Recon...r in Intergovernmental Relations: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 11/02/2025
This is a thoughtful primer on a misunderstood and mischaracterized issue by one of the most astute observers of South African politics. Great work as always from @carolyneholmes.bsky.social. Read it to really understand what’s happening around land reform!
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Eugene Finkel @efinkel.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
The book isn't going to promote itself, so I will. Here is a New Books Network podcast episode on Intent to Destroy, if you don't have anything better to listen to. Thanks to John Vsetecka for the conversation.
newbooksnetwork.com
Eugene Finkel, "Intent to Destroy: Russia's Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine" (Basic Books, 2024) - New Books Network
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
New article on Fast Track by Juan J. Fernández, @amjaime.bsky.social‬ and @bcaihuelas.bsky.social “The Socio-Structural Basis of the Long-Term Decline in Traditional Left-Right Class Voting in Affluent Democracies, 1964–2019,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
The Socio-Structural Basis of the...ent Democracies, 1964–2019: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
New article on Fast Track by Neil Loughlin, “Is Chinese Investment Driving Authoritarianism? Evidence from the First Decade of the Belt and Road in Southeast Asia,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
Is Chinese Investment Driving Aut... Belt and Road in Southeast Asia: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Carolyn E Holmes @carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Scholars! I'm in charge of African Politics at @mpsa.bsky.social conference this year. We're recruiting discussants for 3 great sessions: Critical Theory - Fri, 4/4 Democracy & Contesting Power - Fri, 4/4 Politics of Development/Development Politics - Sat, 4/5 Let me know if you're interested!
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Comparative Politics @comppol.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
New article on Fast Track by Camilla Reuterswärd, “Policy Commitment as Voter Mobilization Strategy: Clientelist Parties, Interest Groups, and Abortion Policy in Subnational Mexico,” www.ingentaconnect.com/content/cuny...
ingentaconnect.com
Policy Commitment as Voter Mobili...ion Policy in Subnational Mexico: Ingenta Connect Fast Track Article
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
Do you do interpretive research on politics? Did you publish an awesome book or article last year or give a great conference paper? Well, then you should nominate your work for the @interpretivemm.bsky.social annual awards! Details here: www.interpretivemethods.com/summary-of-a...
interpretivemethods.com
IMM Awards Overview — Interpretive Methodologies and Methods
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Corinna Jentzsch @corinnajentzsch.com · 14/01/2025
JOB ALERT: I have two vacancies for fully-funded, 4 year PhD positions in my European Research Council Project “Countering Jihadi Insurgencies in Africa”; one on Nigeria, one on Mozambique. Closing date for applications 15 March 2025, start in Sept. 2025 www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/vacancies...
universiteitleiden.nl
PhD Positions in Political Science/Conflict Studies/African Studies (two full-time positions)
PhD Positions in Political Science/Conflict Studies/African Studies (two full-time positions, each 1.0 fte)The Institute of Political Science of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences invites ...
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
A lot of great books on this list, including a few I’ve been waiting to see published for a long time like @cgastrow.bsky.social’s on Luanda and Sharad Chari’s on Durban. My reading list is getting longer!
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Lena Kaufmann @lenakaufmann.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Hot off the press!📚 “Seeing China‘s Belt and Road“ @oxunipress.bsky.social by @edwardschatz.bsky.social & Rachel Silvey eds. rb.gy/to24vn My chapter on the history & present of the #DigitalSilkRoad between #China & Europe is OA: doi.org/10.5167/uzh-... #NewBook #BeltandRoad @modomodo.bsky.social
Book cover of “Seeing China’s Belt and Road“, Oxford University Press, 2025
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
This is a fantastic series that @tunablazer.bsky.social has put together for the @interpretivemm.bsky.social community. If you want to understand these methods, join! Diana Kim will offer a masterclass on archival research. Amazing chance to learn from a world leading historian and social scientist!
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 30/12/2024
Great research in this issue! Some highlights include how regimes create beliefs in authoritarian law, how rural people overcome collective action problems to foment protest, and a fantastic review of recent books on non-violent resistance.
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Seeing @jwpaller.bsky.social’s This Week in Africa every Friday in my inbox is a highlight of the week. It’s a fantastic compendium of the latest news about the continent’s politics, cities, research, and cultural production. Thanks, Jeff, for a real service in putting it together!
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jwpaller.bsky.social @jwpaller.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
thisweekinafrica.substack.com/p/top-africa...
thisweekinafrica.substack.com
Top Africa Stories of the Year 2024
December 27, 2024
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Recently received your PhD? Want to live in New York? Like a vibrant intellectual community? Excited to teach at one of the country’s most diverse colleges while having a direct impact on social economic inequality? Consider joining us at CCNY! 👇 moynihancenter.ccny.cuny.edu/programs/pos...
moynihancenter.ccny.cuny.edu
Postdoctoral Fellowship | The Moynihan Center
Cultivating bold ideas. Forging the next generation of public-service leaders.
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 17/12/2024
Read a draft of this and delighted to see it live in @cpsjournal.bsky.social! @danigilbert.bsky.social explains armed group cooperation through 113 tough-to-get interviews on Colombian kidnapping. Want impressive research on crime and politics? Read this 👇 journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
Partners in Crime: Comparative Advantage and Kidnapping Cooperation - Danielle Gilbert, 2024
What explains cooperation between armed groups? Challenging existing literature that assumes armed groups must be similar or not cooperate at all, I argue that ...
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
An example of discourse analysis at its finest that shows the power of interpretive methods to illuminate the ideational forces behind big changes in state policy. Congrats, @frankstengel.bsky.social, on the important book!
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Nicholas Rush Smith @nickrushsmith.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
This is going to be an important book for understanding a crucial moment in Eastern Europe’s history. Thank you, @efinkel.bsky.social, for providing the crucial historical context for understanding the war in Ukraine, as it appears poised to move into a new phase.
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Eugene Finkel @efinkel.bsky.social · 15/12/2024
So, I've just published a book, if I haven't told you already. And I am promoting it so that I could donate more, because that's where everything I make from sales goes. Also, be kind to me, please, if you can. Thank you.
hachettebookgroup.com
Intent to Destroy
Written with “erudition and verve” (Timothy Snyder, New York Times-bestselling author of On Tyranny), this is the full story of how and why Russia has tr...
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