Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Associate Professor of Political Science


Education

  • Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia, 2008
  • M.A., Ball State University
  • B.S., Grand Canyon University

Teaching Specialties

  • Introduction to U.S. Government
  • Introduction to Comparative Politics
  • Upper division electives in Comparative Politics/International Relations

Research Interests

  • Democratization
  • Comparative Political Culture
  • Comparative Political Behavior
  • Comparative Political Institutions
  • Comparative Political Economy
  • Quality of Governance
  • Determinants of Domestic Conflict

Affiliations

  • American Political Science Association
  • Midwest Political Science Association

Biography

Dr. Tusalem is an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Arkansas State University. His research focuses on the process and institutional dynamics of comparative democratization. He also has related research interests in the politics of the developing world (more specifically, Asian politics), state capacity, quality of governance, and political/social violence. His published work appears in several journals such as the International Political Science Review, Comparative Political Studies, Journal of East Asian Studies, Asian Politics and Policy, Taiwan Journal of Democracy, the International Criminal Justice Review, and the International Social Science Review.  His research work is also featured as book chapters in edited volumes published by Columbia University Press, Oxford University Press, and Lexington. He is the recipient of the Arkansas State University Board of Trustees' faculty award in Research and Scholarship in 2010 and Teaching Excellence in 2012. He was also nominated as Honors professor of the year by the Honors College and the ‘You made a difference’ advising award by the Wilson Advising center during the academic year 2012-2013. Dr. Tusalem received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2008.