Professor Kostadinova received her Ph.D. from the Florida State University in 2000. Her research and teaching interests include political institutions with a special emphasis on electoral systems and reform, East European democratic transition, and comparative public policy. She has been the recipient of several grants, among which the American Political Science Small Research Grant (2002) and a Fellowship Program Award from the German Marshall Fund of the United States (2003-2004). Professor Kostadinova's first book, Bulgaria 1879-1946: The Challenge of Choice (Columbia University Press), explores Bulgarian parliamentary elections, party strategies, and voter behavior. Her 2012 book, Political Corruption in Eastern Europe: Politics After Communism (Lynne Rienner) analyzes the emergence of corruption as a major obstacle to successful democratic transition. Other publications include book chapters and journal articles in American Journal of Political Science, Electoral Studies, Journal of Peace Research, European Journal of Political Research, Political Research Quarterly, Party Politics, and Europe-Asia Studies. Professor Kostadinova's primary teaching area is comparative politics. At the undergraduate level, she teaches courses in Russian and Eastern European politics, electoral behavior, and research methods. Her graduate level courses include seminars on institutional choice, democratic transitions, political parties, and advanced research.
research interests
Elections, Institutions, Democratization, Eastern Europe