Mark Tessler

Mark Tessler is Samuel J. Eldersveld Collegiate Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan, specializing in Comparative Politics and Middle East Studies. His research extensively examines attitudes and values of ordinary citizens in the Middle East through survey methodologies, with fieldwork in Tunisia, Israel, Morocco, Egypt, and Palestine. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University and a Certificate of North African Sociology from the University of Tunis.

His research interests focus on political culture, public opinion, and democratization in the Arab world. He co-directs the Arab Barometer Survey project, recognized for providing invaluable cross-national data on political attitudes.

Publications demonstrate consistent focus on political Islam, democratic development, and conflict analysis in the Middle East. Recent works analyze electoral behavior, authoritarian legacies, and geopolitical shifts, employing advanced survey methodologies and cross-national comparisons.

Scientific Awards:

• Best New Data Set in Comparative Politics, American Political Science Association (2010)
• Notable Book of 1994, The New York Times (for A History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict)

Dr. Tessler leads the Arab Barometer project, involving extensive collaboration across 15 Arab countries. His work emphasizes contextual understanding of political attitudes within specific societal frameworks.