Politics, it is often said, is war by other means. And most of those other means will never appear in a civics textbook, or be taught in a political science class. Dr. Smith will describe the way that some of these other means are employed during election campaigns and during the policy process, with special focus on the role of money and how it might be overcome. He will discuss the impact of these other means both on the body politic and, more personally, on those who aspire to public office. lt;brgt;lt;brgt; Jeff Smith is a professor in the public policy graduate program at The New School in New York City. He has also taught at Washington University, where he received the Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence, and at Dartmouth College. He researches election campaigns, race in urban politics, and the legislative process. His writing has appeared in Slate, Inc., National Journal, and New York magazines, and he has been profiled by Harper's, the New Republic, and NPR. Jeff served in the Missouri Senate from 2006-2009. After working in St. Louis Public Schools and cofounding a group of urban charter schools, Jeff became a leading voice in the Senate on education issues. In 2004, Jeff ran for Dick Gephardt's former congressional seat, losing narrowly to Rep. Russ Carnahan. His grass-roots campaign was chronicled in the film Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, which was short-listed for an Academy Award. He spent 2010 in federal prison on charges stemming from a campaign finance violation during that race. Jeff graduated with honors in Black Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Washington University.