Dr. Mert Kartal
PhD in Political Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison
MA in Political Science
University of Wisconsin-Madison
MA in European Politics
Lund University

Dr. Mert Kartal earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014. Before joining St. Lawrence University in 2019, he served as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and was a guest researcher at the University of Gothenburg’s Quality of Government Institute.
Dr. Kartal's research interests lie at the intersection of international relations and European politics, with a particular focus on the European Union's influence on corruption control across Europe. His work has been published in leading academic journals, including Comparative European Politics, the Journal of European Public Policy, the Journal of European Integration, and West European Politics.
At St. Lawrence, Dr. Kartal teaches courses on international relations, international organizations, and European Union politics, as well as a research seminar on political corruption. In addition to his academic role, he serves as a Europe course instructor at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute and also coordinates St. Lawrence's participation in Diplomacy Lab, an official partnership with the U.S. State Department.
Publications
Kartal, Mert. (forthcoming). “Promoting Political Integrity: The EU’s Approach to Corruption Control.” In The Future of European Policy: Challenges, Trends, and Opportunities, edited by Carolyn Dudek and Laurie Buonanno. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Kartal, Mert. 2024. “The (Unintended) Consequences of Ineffective Corruption Control on Populism in Europe.”West European Politics, 1-28. DOI: 10.1080/01402382.2024.2340373.
von Borzyskowski, Inken, and Mert Kartal. 2023. “Democracy Assistance by International Organizations.” In Handbook on Democracy and Security, edited by Nicholas Selzter and Steven Wilson. Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: 10.4337/9781839100208.00013.
von Borzyskowski, Inken, and Mert Kartal. 2022. “Regime Type and International Relations.” In Handbook of Research Methods in International Relations, edited by Joseph Huddleston, Thomas Jamieson, and Patrick James. Edward Elgar Publishing. DOI: 10.4337/9781839101014.00023.
Kartal, Mert. 2020. “Incentivizing the Opposition: The EU’s Impact on Good Governance in Central and Eastern Europe.” Comparative European Politics, 18(5): 751-770. DOI: 10.1057/s41295-020-00207-4.
Kartal, Mert. 2020. “Facilitating Experiential Learning and Professional Skills Attainment in the Classroom: The Value of the Model UN Experience.” Journal of Political Science Education. DOI: 10.1080/15512169.2020.1854771.
Kartal, Mert. 2014. “Accounting for the Bad Apples: The EU’s Impact on National Corruption Before and After Accession.” Journal of European Public Policy, 21(6): 941-959. DOI: 10.1080/13501763.2014.910820.
Kartal, Mert. 2010. “Has the Dwarf Grown Up?” Journal of European Integration, 32(3): 329-337. DOI: 10.1080/07036331003669415.