Patricia J. Smith Brings Political and Economic Change to the Page
I’ve felt a strong connection to politics most of my life. I grew up in a small town in Kansas and attended the University of Kansas (KU) initially to be a foreign language major, but switched to Political Science before I graduated. After my freshman year, I had the life changing opportunity to attend the KU summer language institute in Holzkirchen, West Germany, twenty miles south of Munich. This first trip to Europe piqued a lifelong interest in international travel and introduced me to fine art and history. For me, a teenager from a small Kansas farming community, Moundridge, the trip opened up my world. The year was 1964.
During the summer of 1966, when I served as a congressional intern for Kansas Congressman Garner Shriver, I had firsthand exposure to American politics. It was a time of political unrest and Communist witchhunts. I was shocked observing the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings that targeted U.S. citizens.
During the 1960s, I received a bachelors degree with honors in Political Science from the University of Kansas and a masters degree in Government from Indiana University, and later, in the 1990s, a PhD in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle. My areas of concentration for my PhD included Comparative Politics, International Relations, and European Politics, East and West. I conducted research throughout East Germany, and thanks to an IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) fellowship, I spent a year in East Berlin affiliated with the prestigious Humboldt University. Concurrently, I taught a variety of courses at universities in Romania and also at the University of Washington in Seattle. I worked a number of years for various levels of governments in the United States--as a legislative and research analyst, housing and community development program manager, and in a variety of urban and regional planning jobs.
As I reflect on my life and remember stories of my varied and sometimes unconventional experiences, I notice repeating connections and themes. My upcoming autobiographical memoir, “In the Shadow of World History,” will link many of these personal experiences and reflections with contemporary history and current events.
During the summer of 1966, when I served as a congressional intern for Kansas Congressman Garner Shriver, I had firsthand exposure to American politics. It was a time of political unrest and Communist witchhunts. I was shocked observing the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings that targeted U.S. citizens.
During the 1960s, I received a bachelors degree with honors in Political Science from the University of Kansas and a masters degree in Government from Indiana University, and later, in the 1990s, a PhD in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle. My areas of concentration for my PhD included Comparative Politics, International Relations, and European Politics, East and West. I conducted research throughout East Germany, and thanks to an IREX (International Research and Exchanges Board) fellowship, I spent a year in East Berlin affiliated with the prestigious Humboldt University. Concurrently, I taught a variety of courses at universities in Romania and also at the University of Washington in Seattle. I worked a number of years for various levels of governments in the United States--as a legislative and research analyst, housing and community development program manager, and in a variety of urban and regional planning jobs.
As I reflect on my life and remember stories of my varied and sometimes unconventional experiences, I notice repeating connections and themes. My upcoming autobiographical memoir, “In the Shadow of World History,” will link many of these personal experiences and reflections with contemporary history and current events.
Take a peek at my books.
Revolution Revisited: Behind the Scenes in East Germany
My 2014 book, "Revolution Revisited: Behind the Scenes in East Germany, 1989," transcends a mere recounting of events. It tells the inspiring story of a small group of activists in Leipzig who stood up against an oppressive political system. Their relentless fight for democratic reforms mobilized a movement within East Germany and played a crucial role in dismantling the East German state. This work, one of my key political and economic change books, incorporates personal interviews and documented evidence from that pivotal year.
After the Wall: Eastern Germany Since 1989
"After the Wall: Eastern Germany since 1989," another cornerstone of my work, explores the significant shifts Eastern Germany experienced post-1989. Part of the Eastern Europe After Communism series and published by Westview Press in 1998, this edited volume delves into the process and implications of German reunification, primarily from an East German perspective. Thirteen German specialists discuss the political, social, and economic transformations leading to a newly unified Germany, offering an in-depth look at how the region has evolved. Through this lens, readers gain insights into a critical period of political and economic change.
In the Shadow of the World History
My upcoming autobiographical memoir, “In the Shadow of World History,” offers a story-based recounting of how my firsthand experiences of major political events, as well as accidental encounters during my lifetime, shaped my understanding of the world. Mixing current events with cultural and historical research, I offer a timely reflection on how history continues to inform the present.