Hello.

Welcome to my website. I am currently an American Political Science Association (APSA) Congressional Fellow for the 2022-2023 academic year working in the U.S. Senate in Washington DC. Recently, I served as a lecturer in political science at George Mason University, where I taught courses in research methods, American politics, comparative politics, and democratic theory. 

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I received my PhD in political science from George Mason University's Schar School of Policy and Government in December of 2021. I took subfield exams in comparative politics and international relations with coursework focusing on regime transitions (both democratization and democratic backsliding) and obstacles to effective representation in complex societies. My research interests include: populism/extremism, parties and party systems, religion and politics, text analysis, and political science pedagogy. 

 

My dissertation research explores when and why parties 'talk like populists'--or use populist ideas, concepts, and frames to appeal to voters. To answer this question, I analyzed speeches and manifestos over the last 20 years in Austria, France, Germany, Sweden, the UK, and the US. For this research, I developed my own text-based measurement of populism and validated it using two recent elite surveys. My dissertation committee included: Drs. Mariely Lopez-Santana (chair), Jennifer N. Victor, and Delton T. Daigle. 

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You can reach me at: astuvland.gmu[at]gmail.com

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