Mark Mattern

Dr. Mark Mattern is a Professor in the Department of Politics and Global Citizenship at Baldwin Wallace University, where he has taught since 1999 after five years at Chapman University. His expertise spans political theory, political economy, and the politics of arts and culture, with a focus on democratizing practices beyond formal institutions.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Political Science, University of Minnesota
• M.A. in Public Affairs, Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
• B.A. in History, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota

Mattern's research critically interrogates economic inequality through frameworks like "trickle-up" wealth extraction, while exploring anarchism's intersections with art and community-based political action. His work emphasizes marginalized voices in cultural resistance, examining how music, performance, and grassroots organizing foster democratic participation outside traditional power structures. This interdisciplinary approach bridges political philosophy with tangible activist practices.

His publication history reveals a sustained scholarly trajectory from community music movements (1998) to contemporary economic justice analyses (2021). Recurring themes include art as political resistance, critiques of neoliberal economics, and democratization through cultural practice. The evolution from foundational texts on political thought (2006) to recent systemic economic critiques demonstrates deepening engagement with structural inequality while maintaining focus on grassroots agency.