What am I reading in ScholarWorks? July 2026

I vaguely remember a television game show back in the day in which one partner would say a word and the other would complete the phrase. It might sound something like: “Coffee and—“ “Cigarettes!” “Bread and—“ “Butter!” “Rural evangelical and—“ “Republican!” That last one may not have come up, but, you must admit, it works. Visiting Assistant Professor James Kirk (Government) and his co-author Levi Allen’s paper “God’s Country: Perceptions of Religious and Place-Based Candidate Identities,” explores that linguistic connection that flows so effortlessly off our tongues, and asks if both or only one of the modifiers really indicates a political disposition in voters’ minds.

Understanding voter perceptions and partisan stereotypes is important if we have any real interest in working towards a less polarized populace or even just anticipating what may make a successful political campaign. The nuances matter and taking the time to dig into assumptions and grouping shortcuts gives us real information about how voters think and how social identities are formed more generally. Enjoy this fascinating research!

View in Scholarworks: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/gov_facpubs/77/  

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