Stephen Farnsworth
Professor of Political Science and International Affairs | University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, VA, UNITED STATES
Dr. Farnsworth has spent decades researching how media and politics intersect. Check out his website at stephenfarnsworth.net.
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Biography
Dr. Farnsworth is a sought-after political commentator on subjects ranging from presidential politics to the local Virginia congressional races. He has been widely featured in national media, including The Washington Post, Reuters, The Chicago Tribune and MSNBC.
He is author or co-author of seven books on presidential communication. His work, "Presidential Communication and Character: White House News Management from Clinton and Cable to Twitter and Trump," examines how the last four U.S. presidents sell themselves and their policies in an ever-expanding and sometimes precarious media environment.
Among his other books are "The Global President;" "Spinner in Chief: How Presidents Sell Their Policies and Themselves;" "The Nightly News Nightmare: Media Coverage of U.S. Presidential Elections, 1988-2008;" "The Mediated Presidency: Television News and Presidential Governance;" "Political Support in a Frustrated America;" and "Late Night With Trump: Political Humor and the American Presidency."
A professor at University of Mary Washington for nearly two decades, he established the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies. He is recipient of the 2017 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV), and was recognized for his service to the national political science honor society Pi Sigma Alpha. The University has bestowed four teaching honors, including the Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award, the Mary W. Pinschmidt Teaching Award, the Richard Palmieri Outstanding Professor Award and the Waple Research Professorship Award.
Areas of Expertise (7)
American Elections
American Government
The American Presidency
Internet Politics
Mass Media and Politics
Virginia Government and Politics
Journalism
Accomplishments (10)
Waple Research Professorship (professional)
2018-03-31
Awarded for outstanding research in political science.
Farnsworth Receives Outstanding Faculty Award (professional)
2017-01-04
Stephen J. Farnsworth, University of Mary Washington professor of political science and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies, has received the prestigious 2017 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV).
Farnsworth Receives National Political Science Association Award (professional)
2016-09-13
Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the UMW Center for Leadership and Media Studies, was recognized for his dedication and service to Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society, at the American Political Science Association Conference in September 2016.
Recipient, Distinguished Communicator Award (professional)
2016-04-10
Awarded by the Virginia Association of Communication Arts and Sciences.
Best Conference Paper Award in Political Communication (professional)
2011-04-01
Eastern Communication Association
Best Conference Paper Award in Political Communication (professional)
2009-04-01
Southern States Communication Association
J. William Fulbright Research Chair in Public Policy (professional)
2006-01-01
McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award (professional)
2001-01-01
Awarded by the Alumni Association of Mary Washington College.
Mary W. Pinschmidt Teaching Award (professional)
1999-01-01
Presented by the graduating class to the faculty member "who had the greatest impact on their lives" at Mary Washington College.
Richard Palmieri Outstanding Professor Award (professional)
1999-01-01
Presented by Mortar Board honor and service society in recognition of exceptional teaching and service to Mary Washington College.
Education (4)
Georgetown University: Ph.D., American Government
Georgetown University: M.A., American Government
University of Missouri: B.A. (Honors), History
Dartmouth College: B.A. (Honors), American Government
Affiliations (3)
- Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society
- Fredericksburg Regional Board of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia : Member
- Former Chair, Political Communication Section of American Political Science Association. 2012-2014
Media Appearances (21)
Virginia convention delegation backs Harris, turnout to be key, analysts say (The News Virginian)
The News Virginian online
2024-07-24
“Harris may generate some increased support among those people sometimes called the ‘double haters,’ people not happy with either Biden or Trump as nominees,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
Virginia convention delegation backs Harris, turnout to be key, analysts say (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Richmond Times-Dispatch online
2024-07-24
“Harris may generate some increased support among those people sometimes called the ‘double haters,’ people not happy with either Biden or Trump as nominees,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington.
GOP attacks against Kamala Harris were already bad – they are about to get worse
The Conversation online
2024-07-24
Public opinion polls suggest that U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is doing slightly better than Joe Biden was against Donald Trump, but Republican attacks against her are only now ramping up.
Spanberger gets big jump as Democrats look to 2025
Richmond Times-Dispatch online
2024-07-17
"It's clear that the Democrats are planning already for 2025," said Steve Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington. "A lot of money is being dropped on candidates who aren't on the ballot this year.
Kamala Harris's Rebranding Could Make Her 'More Sympathetic' (Newsweek)
Newsweek online
2024-07-17
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, told Newsweek that her memes can help her reach young voters. "Vice President Harris has shown a greater ability to connect with younger voters than President Biden has. Her many appearances on college campuses and before younger groups, her focus on abortion rights, and her meme game make her an ambassador of sorts from the administration to younger adults," he said.
Voters Express Frustration Over Biden vs Trump
CTV News online
2024-07-16
"Well, I really think that alot of opinions about Joe Biden are pretty fixed right now," said Stephen Farnsworth.
What effect will Trump shooting have on campaigns going forward?
VPM online
2024-07-16
Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington, questions whether Democratic angst over the president in early July will make much difference to voters in November.
2 Army veterans set for major House battle in Virginia
The Hill; Yahoo News; AOL.com online
2024-07-09
“It’s going to be one of the marquee national races this fall,” said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington.
Kamala Harris, From Grey Vice President to Possible Biden Alternative
Sunday Vision online
2024-07-08
“If she steps down, Harris would be the best alternative for Democrats to avoid starting a major internal battle just weeks before the convention,” Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, told EFE.
Va. analysts weigh in on Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling
Richmond Times-Dispatch online
2024-07-02
Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the Supreme Court “further reduced the slim chances” of a federal trial before the election stemming from Trump’s actions relating to Jan. 6, 2021.
Worried Democrats discuss replacing Biden in race (Voice of America; Los Angeles News Net)
Voice of America; Los Angeles News Net online
2024-07-02
"I cannot imagine Biden will drop out, NYT commentary or not, unless there is some major health matter that is not public knowledge. Or if one develops between now and Election Day," Stephen Farnsworth, a professor of Political Science and International Affairs at the University of Mary Washington, told VOA.
Matter of Debate: RFK debate snub becomes latest setback for uphill campaign
Washington Examiner online
2024-06-28
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said if Kennedy avoided controversial topics including reports that he admitted a parasitic worm “ate a portion” of his brain, it could help him on the debate stage.
Primaries turn out only a small share of voters to the polls
Prince William Times online
2024-06-26
Stephen J. Farnsworth, a professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Monday he’s not too surprised by the big dollar amounts. “Those big numbers have to do with the fact that these are D.C. suburban districts that could produce strong candidates,” Farnsworth said. “These districts are where the real competition in America is found today.”
Matter of Debate: RFK debate snub becomes latest setback for uphill campaign
Colorado Springs Gazette online
2024-06-26
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington, said if Kennedy avoided controversial topics including reports that he admitted a parasitic worm “ate a portion” of his brain, it could help him on the debate stage.
Could Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin be Trump's pick for VP?
Fox 5; Yahoo News online
2024-06-26
Professor Steven Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington tells FOX 5 he believes Youngkin is a serious vice-presidential contender. "It makes a lot of sense for Glenn Youngkin, I think, to be considered seriously because THE key issue for Donald Trump in think is winning again," Farnsworth said. "It is important to note that Youngkin is an early endorser of the former President and has not done the sort of things to make an enemy of Donald Trump that some other Republicans in Virginia have done."
Vindman wins the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District
Fox 4 News; MSN.com online
2024-06-21
"An advantage in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage that he has in terms of ability to raise money and the fact he has a name that is well-known — that puts him in a position to be better-known than the other candidates," Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, told NBC Washington of Vindman ahead of the primary election.
Key takeaways from the 2024 Virginia primary election results
WJLA online
2024-06-21
“The reality is that if McGuire wins, it will be Trump that made the difference,” said University of Mary Washington Political Science Professor Stephen Farnsworth. “The last hours of the campaign, you saw Trump go all in on this race, in part because for Trump, a lot of politics is personal, and when Congressman Good decided to back Ron DeSantis against Donald Trump in the Republican presidential nomination, well, Good created a target on his back as far as Donald Trump was concerned.”
Eugene Vindman projected to win Democratic nomination, Derrick Anderson to win GOP in Virginia's 7th district primary
NBC Washington online
2024-06-21
"An advantage in terms of endorsements from top Democrats, the funding advantage that he has in terms of ability to raise money and the fact he has a name that is well-known — that puts him in a position to be better-known than the other candidates," said Stephen Farnsworth, a political analyst at the University of Mary Washington.
With so many choices in primary races, will Virginia consider ranked choice voting?
Richmond Times-Dispatch online
2024-06-18
“The 2024 primaries are about the best case you’ll ever see for ranked choice voting,” said Stephen Farnsworth, director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, in the heart of the 7th District. “When you have more than a half-dozen candidates in the field, you may end up seeing winners with 20 to 22% of the vote.”
5th District Republican primary draws big names and big money
Cardinal online
2024-06-18
Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, said Vindman's lack of political experience is offset by his popularity nationally among activists, who have donated to his campaign in droves.
Most GOP primary candidates criticize Trump's conviction
Prince William Times online
2024-06-13
“To win a Republican primary, and to get Republican support in the general election, a candidate needs to be pro-Trump,” Farnsworth said. “In many primaries, Republicans are competing to see which candidate can express the most pro-Trump views.”
Event Appearances (21)
Partisan Trends in Late Night Humor
Virginia Association of Communication Arts and Sciences Fairfax, VA
2018-04-06
The New Virginia: Politics and the Economy after the 2017 Elections
Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance Lynchburg, VA
2017-12-14
Reviewing the 2017 Elections in Virginia
Virginia Civics Summit Chesterfield, VA
2017-11-29
The Trump Presidency, the Mass Media and Public Opinion
The Norwegian Washington Seminar Washington, DC
2017-10-28
The Identity Crises of the Democratic and Republican Parties
White House Fellows Foundation Leadership Conference Washington, DC
2017-10-27
Donald Trump and the Late-Night Political Humor of Campaign 2016: All the Donald, All the Time
American Political Science Association San Francisco, CA
2017-08-31
Virginia’s Candidate Selection Process: Examining Recent Primaries and Conventions
American Legion Boys’ State of Virginia Radford, VA
2017-06-21
President Obama’s Use of New Media: Enacting the Affordable Care Act and Defining Presidential Character
Western Political Science Association Vancouver, Canada
2017-04-04
Politics, Media and the American Political System.
Institute for International Education Visitor Leadership Program for International Journalism, U.S. Department of State Washington, DC
2017-03-02
Media Bias is a Threat to American Democracy
Podius Debates. University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
2016-10-26
Digital Media, Public Opinion and the US Presidential Race
BI University Oslo, Norway
2016-10-12
The Presidential Candidates, the Mass Media and the Angry Voters of 2016
Mary Talks, University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
2016-10-03
News Coverage of the 2013 Virginia Governor’s Race Versus Presidential Election News
American Political Science Association Philadelphia, PA
2016-09-21
A Comparative Analysis of the Partisan Targets of Media Fact-checking
American Political Science Association Philadelphia, PA
2016-09-14
U.S. Journalism, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Development
Institute for International Education Visitor Leadership Program for International Journalism, U.S. Department of State Washington, DC
2016-09-07
Late Night Comics Examine Campaign 2016: Donald Trump Dominates the Jokes
American Political Science Association Pre-Conference in Political Communication Philadelphia, PA
2016-08-03
Barack Obama and the Rise of the Diffident Presidential Style
Midwest Political Science Association Chicago, IL
2016-04-07
Studying the Presidency after 9/11: Re-considering Presidential Character in Domestic and International Contexts
9/11 and the Academy Conference at Emory & Henry College Emory, Va
2015-11-12
Fact-Checking the Fact-Checkers
American Political Science Association San Francisco, CA
2015-09-10
News Coverage of U.S. Presidential Campaigns: Reporting on Primaries and General Elections, 1988-2012
American Political Science Association, Washington, D.C.
2014-08-01
The Automated Coding of Sentiment in Political News Coverage: Examining Newspaper Coverage of the 2013 Race for Governor of Virginia
American Political Science Association Pre-Conference in Political Communication, Washington, D.C.
2014-08-01
Courses (1)
American Government:
Mass Media Politics U.S. Political Parties & Elections The American Presidency US Constitutional Reform US Politics and Film Consuming News: A User’s Guide
Articles (14)
Donald Trump and the Late-Night Political Humor of Campaign 2016: All the Donald, All the Time.
RoutledgeStephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Deanne Canieso
2018-02-14
The Presidency and Social Media: Discourse, Disruption and Digital Democracy in the 2016 Presidential Election, (Dan Schill and John Allen Hendricks, ed.) New York: Routledge, 2018: 330-45.
This One Map Shows the Republicans’ Problem in Virginia
Washington PostStephen J. Farnsworth and Stephen Hanna
2017-11-09
[Opinion column] “This One Map Shows the Republicans’ Problem in Virginia.” (Stephen J. Farnsworth and Stephen Hanna). Washington Post. (“The Monkey Cage” blog). November 9, 2017.
Support for Medicaid in Virginia Keeps Growing
Washington PostStephen Farnsworth
2017-10-08
[Opinion column] “Support for Medicaid in Virginia Keeps Growing.” Washington Post. October 8, 2017.
Party Affiliation and Political Class
GreenwoodBenjamin Hermerding and Stephen J. Farnsworth
The American Middle Class: An Economic Encyclopedia of Progress and Poverty (R.S. Rycroft, ed.). Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood, 2017: 476-9.
Virginia’s 2013 Gubernatorial Race and Presidential Elections: A Comparison of News Coverage.
The Virginia News LetterStephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter
2017-08-01
The Virginia News Letter. Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia. 92(3): 1-8 (August 2016).
News coverage of Trump is really, really negative. Even on Fox News
Washington PostStephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Roland Schatz
2017-02-28
[ Opinion column] “News coverage of Trump is really, really negative. Even on Fox News.” (Stephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Roland Schatz.)Washington Post. (“The Monkey Cage” blog). February 28, 2017.
Donald Trump will probably be the most ridiculed president ever
Washington PostStephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Deanne Canieso
2017-01-21
[Opinion column] “Donald Trump will probably be the most ridiculed president ever.” Stephen J. Farnsworth, S. Robert Lichter, and Deanne Canieso.Washington Post. (“The Monkey Cage” blog). January 21, 2017.
Farnsworth Published by "The Fix" Blog, Washington Post
The Washington Post2016-03-08
Stephen Farnsworth is co-author of an opinion column, “Late Night Tells Three Times as Many Jokes about 2016 Republicans as Democrats,” published by "The Fix" blog of the Washington Post.
“The 2015 Election in Virginia: A Tribute to Gerrymandering.”
The Washington Post2015-11-05
A map by Stephen Hanna, professor of geography, and a column by Stephen Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, which both discussed the recent state legislative elections were published in "The Fix" blog of The Washington Post. The column was titled “The 2015 Election in Virginia: A Tribute to Gerrymandering.”
With Overwhelming Support for Nonpartisan Redistricting, Virginians are Studying Ways to Make That Happen
The Virginia News Letter2015-06-27
Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia
An Extended Presidential Honeymoon: Coverage of Barack Obama in The New York Times during 2009 and 2010
Politics and Policy2015-06-01
(Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter). Politics and Policy 41 (3): 447-463 (June 2013).
Virginia Voters and Decentralized Governmental Power: Federal Frustration and State Satisfaction?
Virginia Social Science Journal2015-05-01
Virginia Voters and Decentralized Governmental Power: Federal Frustration and State Satisfaction?
Event-Driven Environmental News in the U.S. and Canada
Electronic Media and Politics2012-11-01
(Stuart Soroka, Stephen J. Farnsworth, Lori Young and Andrea Lawlor). Electronic Media and Politics 1(10): 143-57 (November 2012).
Authors’ Response: Improving News Coverage in the 2012 Presidential Campaign and Beyond
Politics & Policy2012-08-01
(Stephen J. Farnsworth and S. Robert Lichter). Politics & Policy 40(4): 547-556 (August 2012).
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