Florida's political experts to recap election

November 5, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two of Florida’s leading political analysts will offer their post-election insights at 6 p.m. Nov.13 at the University of Florida’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service in Pugh Hall. The session and parking are free and open to the public and will be streamed live on the Bob Graham Center’s website at http://www.bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu/.

Susan MacManus, distinguished university professor at the University of South Florida in the department of government and international affairs, and Dan Smith, a University of Florida Research Foundation professor of political science, will share their thoughts on everything from the presidential election to the controversy surrounding changes to local election laws during the 2012 election season. They’ll also be looking ahead to issues ranging from immigration to the budgetary “fiscal cliff” the nation must confront before January.

MacManus is the go-to source for journalists covering the electoral battleground state, Florida. A graduate of the University of Michigan and Florida State University, she has served as political analyst for WFLA NewsChannel 8 in Tampa for the last six election cycles. Since 2008, she has been a featured columnist on sayfiereview.com and has appeared on every major broadcast and cable television and radio network in need of trenchant analysis.

Smith’s chief area of expertise is how political institutions affect political behavior across the United States. Author of more than 40 scholarly articles and numerous books on the politics and process of direct democracy in the U.S., Smith has written extensively on campaign financing of ballot measure campaigns, initiatives and referendums; the popular support and fate of redistricting initiatives, and the impact of anti-gay marriage measures on candidate elections.