Alexander Kustov

Alexander Kustov is an assistant professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a 2024-2025 Good Authority fellow. He studies democratic governance and public opinion, with a focus on managing immigration and ethnic tensions in high-income countries. He is the author of In Our Interest: How to Make Immigration Popular (forthcoming at Columbia University Press).


Good Chat: How democracies can make immigration more popular

Alexander Kustov shares some insights from his new book on immigration politics.

Good to Know: Populism

Why is populist rhetoric so prevalent, and does it even matter?

Germany’s far-right party made huge gains in the 2025 elections

The AfD made sure immigration remains a top concern for voters.

The coming politics of population decline

Japan’s aging population and plummeting birth rate offer a peek at why policies need to shift around the world.

Can Trump manage immigration effectively – and not just reduce it?

Research suggests that’s what voters really care about, not immigrant numbers.

Good to Know: The public is a thermostat

Why there is a never-ending cycle of governments doing something and the public wanting the opposite.

What does Trump’s second term mean for immigration?

Expect even more restrictive policies – but Americans may again view immigration more positively.

The U.S. immigration debate is a mess. It’s different in Canada.

Canada’s Liberals and Conservatives have competing priorities, but both parties take a pragmatic approach.

Good to Know: Issue importance in politics

Here's how voters’ priorities matter.

Good to Know: What is sociotropic voting?

Why the national economy matters more than voters’ pocketbooks.