Mark R. Beissinger

Mark R. Beissinger is the Henry W. Putnam Professor of Politics at Princeton University, where he also served as Director of the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies (2010–2017). Previously, he held professorships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1995–2006) and Harvard University (1982–1987). His research focuses on social movements, revolutions, nationalism, and post-communist politics, with a regional emphasis on the former Soviet Union and post-Soviet states.

Education:

• Ph.D. 1982, Government, Harvard University
• B.A. 1976, Political Science, Duke University (Magna cum laude)

Research Interests: Beissinger examines how nationalism drives revolutions, the role of urbanization in rebellion, and the impact of social media on opposition movements. His work bridges comparative politics and historical sociology, emphasizing the interplay between contentious politics and state power.

Key Contributions: His book Nationalist Mobilization and the Collapse of the Soviet State (2002) won multiple awards, including the Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award. His later work The Revolutionary City (2022) explores urbanization’s transformative role in global rebellions, earning the Gregory Luebbert Award. Recent research addresses democratic backsliding, civil society resistance, and the geopolitical legacy of Russian imperialism.

Grants & Honors:

• 2023 Gregory Luebbert Award (APSA)
• 2017–2018 Guggenheim Fellowship
• 2003 Woodrow Wilson Foundation Award
• 2003 Mattei Dogan Award (Best Comparative Research)

Teaching & Service: Beissinger teaches courses on revolutions, social movements, and post-Soviet politics. He has mentored over 15 Ph.D. students, many now leading academics. His datasets, such as the Revolutionary Episodes Dataset (1900–2014), are widely used in comparative research.