Shigeo Hirano is an Assistant Professor of Politics at New York University. He recently received his PhD in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. His dissertation was on the relationship between party and candidate reputations in Japanese and American electoral politics. He has a number of working papers on the recent Japanese electoral reforms, the Japanese personal vote, and the Populist Party's entry in 19th Century American politics. His current research includes projects on the Progressive movement in early 20th Century American politics, voting cues in non-partisan U.S. state legislatures, and the effect of direct primaries on third party entry.