John Geer

Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of Political Science Vanderbilt University

  • Nashville TN

National expert in political campaigns, political advertising and public opinion. Co-directs the Vanderbilt Poll.

Contact

Vanderbilt University

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Biography

John G. Geer, a Distinguished Professor of Political Science and who also holds the Gertrude Conway Vanderbilt Chair, leads the Vanderbilt Project on Unity & American Democracy and serves as a senior advisor to Chancellor Daniel Diermeier on key strategic initiatives promoting democracy, open dialogue, and diversity of perspective. Geer, who previously served as the Ginny and Conner Searcy Dean of the College of Arts and Science and Vice Provost for Academic and Strategic Affairs, is a founder of both the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions and the influential Vanderbilt Poll, which conducts surveys in Tennessee and Nashville to assess the public’s thinking on topics of interest to citizens, policymakers and elected officials. He earned his PhD from Princeton University, securing his BA from Franklin and Marshall College. Geer has published 5 books and more than 20 articles on presidential politics and elections and served as Editor of The Journal of Politics (2005-2009). His most recent book is Gateways to Democracy (2023), which is now it is 5th edition. He also published In Defense of Negativity: Attacks Ads in Presidential Campaigns (University of Chicago Press), which won the Goldsmith Book prize from Harvard University (2008). He has provided extensive commentary in the news media on politics and public affairs, including FOX, CNN, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, ABC, and NPR. Geer has also authored numerous op-ed pieces for national publications, including Politico, The Washington Post, LA Times, USA Today, and Chicago Tribune. His lecturing has earned him several awards at Vanderbilt, including the “Squirrel Award,” the 2004 Birkby Prize, the 2005 Jeffrey Nordhaus Award, and the 2009 Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for teaching excellence. He currently co-teaches a series of courses that advance our understanding of leadership and democracy in America with Jon Meacham, noted presidential historian.

Areas of Expertise

Opinion Poll
Campaign Advertising
Polls
Tennessee Politics
Polling
Political Campaigns
Political Advertising

Education

Princeton University

Ph.D.

1986

Princeton University

M.A.

1982

Franklin and Marshall College

B.A.

1980

Affiliations

  • The Journal of Politics : Editorial/Advisors Board

Selected Media Appearances

The awkward parallels between the Biden and Trump convictions

BBC  online

2024-12-03

American faith in the criminal justice department is being undermined, said John Geer, a political science professor at Vanderbilt University and head of its Project on Unity and American Democracy. He adds, however, that claims of selective prosecution amount to a “pebble thrown in a very large lake”, compared to the broader issues at play.

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After Harris' Concession Speech, Who Will Be America's First Woman President?

Newsweek  online

2024-11-06

A last-minute call-up, Harris was forced to campaign against the backdrop of a tough economic and geopolitical situation, but was nevertheless able "to run a very effective campaign," according to John Geer, professor of political science at Vanderbilt.

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US election: Donald Trump wins White House in stunning comeback

France 24  tv

2024-11-06

Donald Trump won a sweeping victory Wednesday in the US presidential election, defeating Kamala Harris to complete an astonishing political comeback that sent shock waves around the world. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on the 2024 US presidential election, FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih is joined by Dr. John G. Geer, Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Co-Director of Vanderbilt Poll at Vanderbilt University.

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Selected Articles

Rethinking the Concept of Negativity: An Empirical Approach

Political Research Quarterly

Keena Lipsitz, John G. Geer

2017

Over the last twenty years, there has been a tremendous amount written on “negativity” in political campaigns. Yet, there is a conceptual disconnect between the definition of negativity used by researchers and how citizens define negativity. In this article, we show how large this disparity is and what its consequences are.

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Negativity, Information, and Candidate Position-Taking

Political Communication

John G. Geer & Lynn Vavreck

2016-04-14

2016

The purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how negativity affects voters’ assessments of the positions candidates take on issues. We argue that the inferences people make about candidates’ positions on issues differ depending on whether the information they encounter comes from attack or self-promotional statements.

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Courting the Women’s Vote: The Emotional, Cognitive, and Persuasive Effects of Gender-Based Appeals in Campaign Advertisements

Political Behavior

Cindy D. Kam, Allison M. N. Archer, John G. Geer

2016-06-01

2016

In this paper, we examine the ways in which citizens emotionally react to and cognitively process campaign advertisements that contain group-based appeals. Specifically, we focus on the emotional, cognitive, and persuasive effects of three campaign ads aired during the 2012 election campaign that contained explicit appeals to women voters.

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