About
Dr. Steven Tauber
Dr. Steven Tauber is a Professor of Political Science and Vice Provost for Faculty Administration He received his BA in Political Science from the University of California San Diego in 1989 and his PhD in Government from the University of Virginia in 1995. Immediately upon receiving his PhD, he started teaching at USF, initially as a Visiting Professor. He then moved his way up the tenure track as an Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor. At USF, he was the chair of the Department of Government & International Affairs from 2012 through 2016, and he was the Founding Director of the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, serving from 2016 through 2019.
Dr. Tauber has taught numerous classes in American politics and social science research methods. His courses are innovative, and he has mentored hundreds of students. In 2011, he won the USF Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Dr. Tauber has published numerous journal articles and chapters in edited volumes on a variety of topics in political science, but his research mainly focuses on the politics of animal rights. His monograph Navigating the Jungle: Law, Politics, and the Animal Advocacy Movement (Routledge 2016) investigates the political constraints facing animal activists who use the judiciary to achieve their goals. He is currently studying the importance of nonhuman animals in global politics. His forthcoming (2022) article in Society & Animals provides the most sophisticated, thorough, and transparent measures of how well each nation treats animals. He recently received a grant from the Culture and Animals Foundation to build a database of animal law court cases decided throughout the world. In addition to his work on animal rights, Dr. Tauber also publishes the award-winning book (coauthored with Paula McClain, Duke University) American Government in Black and White: Diversity and Democracy (Oxford University Press, 5th edition, 2021). This text examines the essentials of American government through the lens of race and ethnicity. Drs. Tauber and McClain are currently working on the 6th edition.
In addition to chairing his department, Dr. Tauber has been heavily engaged in university, professional, and public service. He chaired the College of Arts & Sciences Technology Committee, The College of Arts & Sciences Graduate Committee, the College of Arts & Sciences Tenure and Promotion Committee, and the USF Sabbatical Committee. He is a member of the board of the journal Politics & Animals. He has lent his expertise to countless media sources and delivered numerous speeches to the Tampa Bay Community.