Gibbs Knotts
Professor of Political Science and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences
Education
Ph.D. in Political Science, Emory University
B.A. in Political Science, University of North Carolina
Research Interest
Knotts has broad research interests in American politics and has published on a variety of topics including political participation, voting behavior, southern politics, public administration, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He also enjoys writing for general audiences and has published work in mainstream outlets including The Washington Post, The State, The Post and Courier, and The Conversation.
Courses Taught
Knotts teaches undergraduate courses in American politics and graduate courses in the public administration program.
Selected Publications
First in the South: Why South Carolina’s Presidential Primary Matters. Columbia: The University of South Carolina Press
The Resilience of Southern Identity: Why the South Still Matters in the Minds of its People. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press
“Switching Sides but Still Fighting the Civil War.” Politics, Groups, and Identities, 10: 100-116
“The Southern Accent as a Heuristic in American Campaigns and Elections.” American Politics Research 46: 1065-1093
“Down with the Southern Cross: Opinions on the Confederate Battle Flag in South Carolina.” Political Science Quarterly 132: 719-741
“The Constrained Governor: Exploring Gubernatorial Decision-Making on Senate Appointments.” Political Research Quarterly 69: 482-494
“History Made: The Rise of Republican Tim Scott.” PS: Political Science and Politics 49: 405-413
“Pre-law Advising and the Political Science Major: Evidence from Pre-law Advisors.” PS: Political Science and Politics 49: 320-326
“Similarities and Differences in Support of Minority and White Republican Candidates.” Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics 1: 91-116
“The Nationalization of Special Elections for the U.S. House of Representatives.” Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties 26: 22-39
Honors and Awards
Distinguished Research Award, College of Charleston, 2017
Board of Governor’s Teaching Award, Western Carolina University, 2009-2010
University Scholar, Western Carolina University, 2009-2010
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Western Carolina University, 2003-2004
Teaching-Research Award, Research and Graduate Studies, Western Carolina University, 2003-2004
Olympic Torchbearer, Asheville, NC, December 2001
James H. Weaver Post Graduate Scholarship, presented by the Atlantic Coast Conference, 1993
Phi Beta Kappa University of North Carolina, 1993
Press and Media
Knotts talks to reporters regularly and has been quoted in media outlets including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, Newsweek, USA Today, the Washington Post, the National Journal, U.S. News & World Report, the Christian Science Monitor, McClatchy, Reuters, the Associated Press, the Washington Examiner, the BBC, France24, Global TV News (Canada), Al Jazeera American, Agence France-Presse, National Public Radio, FOX News, FOX Business, MSNBC, KUT News, CNN.com, the News & Observer (Raleigh), the Asheville Citizen-Times, the Smoky Mountain News, The Post and Courier, Charleston City Paper, The State, the Weekly Surge, the Augusta Chronicle, WLOS-Asheville, WCSC-Charleston, WTAT-Charleston, WCIV-Charleston, WCBD-Charleston, and SCETV.