Jae-Jae Spoon

Jae-Jae Spoon is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh, housed within the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She previously served as Director of the European Studies Center (ESC), a Jean Monnet Center of Excellence and National Resource Center for European Studies. Her research focuses on comparative electoral behavior in Europe, particularly the strategies of political parties—especially new and small parties—and how institutional contexts shape party behavior at domestic and European levels. She is co-editor of Research & Politics and has held editorial roles with JEPOP.

Education: PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan (2005). Prior academic roles include positions at the University of Iowa, University of North Texas, and visiting research at the University of Mannheim.

Research Interests:

• European party systems and party competition
• Electoral behavior and voter responses
• Strategic adaptation of small/new parties
• Multi-level governance and EU policy-making

Recent Trends in Work: Recent articles analyze coalition governance effects, radical right parties' environmental issue engagement, and institutional impacts on party survival. Her 2023 work on junior coalition strategies and 2021 study on far-right challenger accommodation highlight her focus on party responsiveness and electoral dynamics.

Awards & Recognition: While no specific awards are listed, her editorial roles and frequent publications in top journals like European Journal of Political Research and West European Politics reflect scholarly impact.

Advising & Grants: Advised PhD students including Jeffrey Nonnemacher (job market), Matt Avina (U Copenhagen), Alex Honeker (Texas A&M-Qatar), and Anthony Ocepek. Active in securing grants for ESC initiatives and EU-focused research.

Labs/Teams: Leads the European Studies Center, fostering interdisciplinary research on EU governance and policy. Collaborates widely with scholars like Heike Klüver and Christopher Williams on comparative projects.