Excited to share some personal news. I’ve started as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Justice, Law, Criminology & Security at American University. I’m incredibly thankful for all of the support I received from so many along the way
Mark Berlin
@markberlin2.bsky.social
Assistant Professor at American University. Previously a postdoc at Princeton SPIA. Political violence, civil wars, and Middle East politics. markberlin2.com
This is a great resource organized by @landgravephd.bsky.social if you’re applying for jobs in political science, public policy, or public administration. The site includes job postings, status updates, and additional information for job market candidates www.politicalsciencejobs.org
PS Jobs
This site serves to provide a listing of jobs for PhDs in political science and adjacent fields including public administration and public policy. You can submit jobs, status updates about said jobs, ...
politicalsciencejobs.org
Why do armed groups use extreme forms of violence? Read this #JOGSS article on how leadership transitions can shape the strategic use of extreme and costly violence, including beheadings, by jihadist organisations. 🔗 doi.org/10.1093/jogs...
Why do armed groups use extreme forms of violence? Excited to share this new open access article! Analyzing beheading attacks conducted by jihadist groups, we examine the impact of leadership succession, targeting, and tenure on organizational tactics academic.oup.com/jogss/articl...
Leadership succession and jihadist beheadings
Abstract. Why do armed groups use extreme forms of violence? Existing research argues that ideological beliefs, organizational alliances, and efforts to ge
academic.oup.com
The DC-Area Political Violence Workshop is holding its inaugural meeting in October 2026 at American University. The workshop aims to bring together DC-area researchers to share in progress work on political violence. Please reach out with any questions! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
DC-Area Political Violence Workshop
Please complete this form my August 1 to apply to present at the DC-Area Political Violence Workshop. The workshop will be held Friday, October 23 at American University.
docs.google.com
Excited to share this new article! How do groups respond to competition with al-Qaeda and IS? Using novel data and a DiD design, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I find that groups often restrain, rather than escalate, their violence in response to pledges to AQ and IS doi.org/10.1177/0022...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
doi.org
Excited to share “Commanders of the Mujahideen: Introducing the Jihadist Leaders Dataset” at JPR! Analyzing Arabic, French, German, Turkish, and Urdu sources, we gathered information on the backgrounds and experiences of 237 leaders across multiple regions academic.oup.com/jpr/advance-...
Postdoctoral research position at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Applications are due next month. I’m happy to answer any questions about the position! puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
puwebp.princeton.edu
Armed groups often publish denial statements to distance themselves from violent attacks. What effects do these statements have on public perceptions? Using a survey experiment, @ilaydaonder.bsky.social and I explore this question in this open access article! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
“We have nothing to do with it”: How statements of denial by armed actors shape public perceptions and emotions
Armed groups operating in conflicts around the world publish statements of denial to dissociate themselves from acts of violence. Existing research argues that armed groups publish denial statements ...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
New publication in the Journal of Conflict Resolution! Why do rebel groups adopt different recruitment strategies? @michaeljsoules.bsky.social and I explore this question by examining the behavior of 232 rebel groups over recent decades journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
Postdoc opening at Princeton SPIA. Applications are due this month. I’m more than happy to answer any questions about the position! puwebp.princeton.edu/AcadHire/app...
puwebp.princeton.edu
While this semester has had its ups and downs, my students have been consistently amazing
Here it is! A Starter Pack for Middle East News A couple things 1) Inclusion in this list should not be taken as an endorsement, this is to crystalize the MENA ecosystem so it can grow 2) Limit's 150, so if I missed you, hit me in the replies & I'll get you in the next one go.bsky.app/2pjNYfP
Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive. And on it goes. www.theguardian.com/world/2024/j...
Hamas regroups in northern Gaza to prepare new offensive
Militant Palestinian group begins to rebuild system of governance in north after being driven out by Israeli forces
theguardian.com
Self-censorship, hostile pressure campaigns, feckless administrators. Shibley Telhami and I have a new article in the Chronicle of Higher Education based on our recent MESB survey of almost 1000 academic Middle East scholars. Its chilling. abuaardvark.substack.com/p/gaza-and-a...
Gaza and Academic Self-Censorship
Our new Chronicle essay reveals eye-opening results from the new Middle East Scholars Barometer survey.
abuaardvark.substack.com
New working paper with Werner Krause & Samer Massoud on the effects of targeting hospitals on violence dynamics in Northwest Syria hicn.org/working-pape... conflictsky polisky menasky
The bombing of hospitals and local violence dynamics in civil wars: Evidence from Syria – HiCN
Can coercive airpower quell a rebellion? Existing literature on the effects of counterinsurgent violence focuses predominantly on casualties resulting from atta
hicn.org
Interested in how al-Qaeda and it’s affiliates responded to the October 7 attacks? Sara Harmouch, @vladimirrauta.bsky.social, and I discuss these reactions, how they relate to al-Qaeda’s past relations with Hamas, and future implications for militant cooperation irregularwarfare.org/articles/the...
This may be too complex a topic for limited characters, but I’ll try: conventional wisdom in the hostage recovery community is the more “professional” the kidnapper, the better outcome for the hostage: less rash, more patient, better care, centralized decision-making authority about release 1/n
Avishay BSG (Ben-Sasson-Gordis)@avishaybsg.bsky.social · 3y agoI don't know. My intuition is that this introduces more, not less complexity since neither Israel nor the mediators would necessarily have direct access to these groups. I wonder what @danigilbert.bsky.social thinks.
Conflictsky
Aaron Y. Zelin@azelin.bsky.social · 3y agoCheck out my new open access journal article for Policy & Internet: "'Highly nuanced policy is very difficult to apply at scale': Examining researcher account and content takedowns online" onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... polisky commsky academicsky
There may be no day after in Gaza - Nathan Brown carnegieendowment.org/2023/11/03/t...
There Might Be No Day After in Gaza
As the war continues, deterioration at the level of governance, security, and public order will likely be deepened by the absence of a political horizon, diplomatic process, or future prospects.
carnegieendowment.org
"Descriptive research—work aimed at answering 'who,' 'what,' 'when,' 'where,' and 'how' questions—is vital at every stage of social scientific inquiry." 🎉
Carolyn E Holmes@carolyneholmes.bsky.social · 3y agoNew (and Open Access!) article in Perspectives on Politics: “A Case for Description” from Michelle Jurkovitch, Mary Anne Mendoza-Davé, @mkguliford.bsky.social and me! With a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our workshops, as well!
A must-read on Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim perspectives by one of the most compelling voices on these issues @danaelkurd.bsky.social
Dana El Kurd@danaelkurd.bsky.social · 3y agoWrote about how people in our communities are feeling right now www.thenation.com/article/poli...
Frontline uploaded their 2002 documentary on how the Oslo Accords had already fallen apart by the turn of the century. www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3P...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt3PpqaLfxo&ab_channel=FRONTLINEPBS%7COfficial
youtube.com
How big have the protests over Gaza in the US been, what have they been saying, and how might they matter? I had a Good Chat with @jayulfelder.bsky.social and Jeremy Pressman from the Crowd Counting Consortium to find out. Check it out at @goodauth.bsky.social! goodauthority.org/news/us-prot...
Will protests over the Israel-Hamas war shift U.S. policy?
Free Gaza CUNY Teachers event Oct. 18, 2023 (cc Pamela Drew/Flickr) There has been a remarkable wave of protests around the world in response to Israel’s
goodauthority.org
Frame your friends close & your enemies closer: how al-Masra newspaper imagines individuals - Nihad Aboud, Mark Berlin, Sam Biasi, and Tyler B. Parker, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... menasky
Frame your friends close and your enemies closer: how al-Masra newspaper imagines individuals
Armed groups are well-known for discussing their allies and adversaries in unitary actor terms. However, individuals also play an important part in the discourse of armed groups. Focusing on jihadi...
tandfonline.com
Remarkably timely Arab Barometer survey in Gaza found deep unpopularity of Hamas government. www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-...
What Palestinians Really Think of Hamas
Before the war, Gaza’s leaders were deeply unpopular—but an Israeli crackdown could change that.
foreignaffairs.com