Publications

PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES

Finseraas, H., Heath, O., Langsæther, P.E., Smets, K. (forthcoming) ’How Group Appeals Shape Group-Party Linkages in Two Political Systems’, Accepted for publication in Journal of Politics.
Borghi, O., Tappin B. M. Smets, K. and M. Tsakiris (2026), ‘Mind over bias: How is cognitive control related to politically motivated reasoning?’, Cognition, 268 (106373).
Borghi, O., Niraki, M., Seremeta, E., Smets, K. and M. Tsakiris (2025), ‘Facing a dark future: Young people’s future anxiety and political attitudes in the UK and Greece’, advances.in/psychology, 24 p.
Smets, K. and S. Collignon. (2025) ‘Ballot Box Battles: Sex, Ethnicity and the Electoral Performance of UK candidates’, Representation, 27 p.
Smets, K. and H. Bunting. (2025) ‘Competing or Complementary? Local and National Competitiveness as Explanatory Factors of Turnout in SMP Systems’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, pp.1-20.
Vaccari, C., Smets, K. and O. Heath (2020), ’The United Kingdom 2017 Election: Polarization in a Split Issue Space’, West European Politics, 43 (3), pp. 587-609.
Neundorf, A., Niemi, R.G., Smets, K. (2016), ’The Compensation Effect of Civic Education on political Engagement: How Civics Classes Make Up for Missing Parental Socialization’, Political Behavior, 38 (4), pp. 921-949.
Royal Holloway Group PR3710. (2016) “A codified constitution is a massive deal’: young people, deliberative democracy and A new Magna Carta?’, Youth Voice Journal, pp. 1-16.
Smets, K. (2016) ‘Revisiting the Political Life-Cycle Model: Later Maturation and Turnout Decline Among Young Adults’, European Political Science Review, 8 (2), pp. 225-249.
Smets, K. and P. Isernia (2014), ‘The Role of Deliberation in Attitude Change: An Empirical Assessment of Three Theoretical Mechanisms’, European Union Politics, 15(3), pp. 389-409.
Isernia, P. and K. Smets (2014), ‘Revealing Preferences: Does Deliberation Increase Ideological Awareness Among Less Educated Voters?’, European Journal of Political Research, 53(3), pp. 520-540.
Smets, K. and A. Neundorf (2014), ‘The Hierarchies of Age-Period-Cohort Research: Political Context and the Development of Generational Turnout Patterns’, Electoral Studies, 33(1), pp. 41-51.
Smets, K. and C. van Ham (2013), ‘The Embarrassment of Riches? A Meta-Analysis of Individual Level Research on Voter Turnout’, Electoral Studies, 32(2), pp. 344–359.
Smets, K. (2013), ‘De opkomstkloof tussen jong volwassenen en ouderen in nationale verkiezingen: een vergelijkend onderzoek’ (The Age Gap in Voter Turnout Between Young Adults and Older Citizens in National Elections: A Comparative Study), Res Publica, 55(1), pp. 11-36.
Hooghe, M. and Smets, K. (2013), ‘Inleiding: Jongeren en politiek in verandering’ (Introduction: Youth and Politics in Times of Change), Res Publica, 55(1), pp. 5-9.
Stegmaier, M., M. Lewis-Beck and K. Smets (2013), ‘Standing for Parliament: Do Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Candidates Pay Extra?’, Parliamentary Affairs, 66(2), pp. 268-285.
Neundorf, A., K. Smets and G. García-Albacete (2013), ‘Homemade Citizens: The Development of Political Interest During Adolescence and Young Adulthood’, Acta Politica, 48(1), pp. 92-116.
Smets, K. (2012), ‘A Widening Generational Divide? The Age Gap in Voter Turnout Through Time and Space’, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties, 22(4), pp. 407-430.

Peer-reviewed book chapters

Serra, L., J. Sloam and K. Smets (accepted/in press), ’Youth Political Participation in the United Kingdom’, in Youth Political Activism Worldwide, ed. F. Vassallo, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Serra, L. and K. Smets, K. (2022), ’Age and Generation’, in The Oxford Handbook of Political Participation, eds. M. Giugni and M. Grasso, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 545-561.
Smets, K. (2021), ’Aging and Politics. Age Differences in Political Behavior in Compar- ative Perspective’, in The Handbook of Aging in the Social Sciences, 9th edition, eds. K. Ferraro and D. Carr, London: Academic Press, pp. 287-300.
Angelucci, D., P. Isernia and K. Smets (2020), ’Representation at Work: Miller and Stokes go to Brussels’, in The EU Through Multiple Crises Representation and Cohesion Dilemmas for a ”sui generis” Polity, eds. M. Cotta and P. Isernia, Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 158-185.
Smets, K. (2019), United Kingdom: European Elections in the run-up to Brexit’, in The European Parliament Elections of 2019, eds. L. de Sio, M. Franklin and L. Russo, Rome: LUISS University Press, pp. 267-272.
Neundorf, A. and K. Smets (2017), ’Political Socialisation and the Making of Citizens’, Oxford Handbooks Online in Political Science, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Edited volumes

Manevska, K. and Smets, K. (2026). Adult belief change: New theoretical and empirical perspectives. Political Psychology, 0(0), 5 pp.
Angelucci, D., and Smets, K. (2025). A new normal? The EP elections 2024 amidst old and new challenges. Quaderni dell’Osservatorio elettorale — Italian Journal of Electoral Studies, 88(1): 3-7.
Hooghe, M. and Smets K. (2013). ‘Jongeren en politiek’ (Youth and Politics), Special issue of Res Publica, 55(1).

Doctoral Thesis

‘A Widening Generational Divide? Assessing the Age Gap in Voter Turnout Between Younger and Older Citizens’, PhD dissertation, Florence: European University Institute, 2010.

Other publications

‘The Compensation Effect of Civic Education on Political Engagement: How Civics Classes Make Up for Missing Parental Socialization’ (with Anja Neundorf and Richard G. Niemi), Nuffield’s Working Papers Series in Politics 2015-10, Oxford: Nuffield College, University of Oxford (2015).
‘Meta-analysis: Why do people vote (or not) in national elections?’ (with Carolien van Ham) in: SAGE Research Methods Cases, London: Sage, electronic publication (2014).
‘The Making of Political Generations: Party Preferences and National Governments across Western Democracies’ (with Anja Neundorf), Nuffield’s Working Papers Series in Politics 2012-02, Oxford: Nuffield College, University of Oxford (2012).
‘Belgium’ (with Kris Van Berendoncks and Steven Van Hecke) in: ‘The 2009 Elections to the European Parliament. Country Reports’, edited by Wojciech Gagatek, Florence: European University Institute, electronic publication (2010).
‘The Netherlands’ (with Carolien van Ham) in: ‘The 2009 Elections to the European Par- liament. Country Reports’, edited by Wojciech Gagatek, Florence: European University Institute, electronic publication (2010).

Contributions to reports

Democracy Classroom (2025). A Roadmap to Votes at 16. London: The Democracy Classroom Project.
Smets, K., J. Sloam and A. Bennett (2025). Pathways to Participation for Marginalised Young People. London: Royal Holloway, University of London and Partnership for Young London.
‘Seven principles for safer canvassing: A guide for councillors and candidates.’ (2024) London: Local Government Association.
‘Debate not hate: Ending abuse in public life for councillors.’ (2023), London: Local Government Association.
Transatlantic Trends – Key Findings Report: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; Transatlantic Trends: Immigration – Key Findings Report: 2009, 2010, 2011; Transatlantic Trends: Leaders – Key Findings Report: 2010. All published by the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

DATASETS

Smets, K., Arahal, I., Bakker, B.N., Barkas, D., Borghi, O., Chryssochoou, X., Couto de Jesus, G., Kasper, J., Kegel, J., Knorr, A., Kossowska, M., Kovalov, N., Kritzinger, S., Laffineur, C., Lamm, C., Liao, Y., Mazur, L., Nika, C., Niraki, M., Perek-Bialas, J., Schumacher, G., Seremeta, E., Silani, G., Tsakiris, M., Vatakis, A., Wagner, M., Wichary, S., OSF, https://osf.io/fmn5r/.

1. IP-PAD Wave 1: Survation panel – United Kingdom [23/7–1/9/2025]
2. IP-PAD Wave 1: School panel – Austria [11/4/2024–7/3/2025]
3. IP-PAD Wave 1: School panel – Greece [12/5/2025–23/5/2025]
4. IP-PAD Wave 1: School panel – The Netherlands [4/11/2024–8/4/2025]
5. IP-PAD Wave 1: School panel – Poland [12/6/2024–24/3/2025]
6. IP-PAD Wave 1: School panel – United Kingdom [20/5–28/12/2024]
7. IP-PAD Wave 1: Online panel – Austria [23/5–7/6/2024]
8. IP-PAD Wave 1: Online panel – Greece [26/5–3/6/2024]
9. IP-PAD Wave 1: Online panel – The Netherlands [28/5–5/6/2024]
10. IP-PAD Wave 1: Online panel – Poland [7/6–13/6/2024]
11. IP-PAD Wave 1: Online panel – United Kingdom [24/5–4/6/2024]
12. IP-PAD Wave 2: Online study – Greece [30/5/2025–3/1/2026]
13. IP-PAD Wave 2: Online study – The Netherlands [20/05–17/12/2025]
14. IP-PAD Wave 2: Online study – Poland [20/5–18/12/2025]
15. IP-PAD Wave 2: Online study – United Kingdom [30/5/2025–19/1/2026]
16. IP-PAD Wave 2: School panel – Greece [2/3/2026–20/3/2026]
17. IP-PAD Wave 2: School panel – the Netherlands [25/03/2026–16/06/2026]
18. IP-PAD Wave 2: School panel – Poland [17/12/2025–26/01/2026]