Dr. James Franklin is an Associate Professor of Politics and Government. He teaches a wide variety of courses, such as Latin American Politics, European Politics, Asian Politics, and Comparative Political Topics: Democratization. Before this, he taught at Texas A&M University, where he won an "Excellence in Teaching Award" in 1998.

His primary research interests are political repression, political dissent, and democratization. His research is cross-national, with emphasis on Latin America. He has published articles in Comparative Political Studies, Party Politics, and Political Research Quarterly, and he has presented numerous papers at conferences. His current research examines governmental responses to protests in seven Latin American countries. Part of this project is an analysis of the effectiveness of various protest tactics and of international human rights criticism on protest outcomes. He was also part of a research team that traveled to Mexico to examine ongoing economic and political changes.

His research interests stem from his interests in human rights and developing countries. His interests in human rights grew from participation in Amnesty International in college and then interning with the organization. His interest in developing countries was enhanced by service trips to Mexico to work with local community members to build houses.

Outside the classroom, he enjoys listening to and playing music. He is a drummer and has played in a variety of bands. He also enjoys spending time with his wife (also a political scientist) and two young children.

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