Smith received his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin—Madison in 1994, and his B.A. (Phi Beta Kappa) in History from Penn State University in 1988.

Smith has published extensively on the politics and policy of direct democracy, as well as the adoption and early history of the initiative process. He is the author of several books. Educated by Initiative: The Effects of Direct Democracy on Citizens and Political Organizations in the American States[3] (University of Michigan Press, 2004), which he co-authored with Caroline J. Tolbert,[4] examines the “educative effects” of the initiative process on voter turnout, citizen engagement, and political efficacy, as well as the indirect impact citizen lawmaking has on interest groups and political parties.

Smith’s first book, Tax Crusaders and the Politics of Direct Democracy [5] (Routledge, 1998), investigated the financial backing and the populist-sounding rhetoric of three anti-tax ballot initiatives: Proposition 13 in California (1978), Proposition 2½ in Massachusetts (1980), and TABOR in Colorado (1992).

Smith is also the coauthor, with Todd Donovan and Chris Mooney, of State and Local Politics: Institutions and Reform, now in its 2nd edition (Cengage, 2008). [6]

Professor Smith serves on the Board of Directors of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Foundation (BISCF)[7], a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, and is a member of the Board of Scholars with the Initiative and Referendum Institute [8] at the University of Southern California. Professor Smith’s commentary on the initiative process has appeared in or has been heard on numerous news media, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, BBC, National Public Radio, Voice of America, ABC News and NBC News. Professor Smith has advised the state legislatures of Colorado and Florida, as well as numerous groups on the mechanics and politics of the initiative process, and has served as an expert witness in several campaign finance lawsuits. He is also the lead author of the "Direct Democracy Scholars Brief" in Doe v. Reed case heard by the Supreme Court of the United States in 2010.