Burak Tan is a political scientist specializing in political theory and comparative politics. His research lies at the intersection of contemporary democratic theory and politics of authoritarianism, investigating the problems of authoritarian stability and the globally rising appeal of nondemocratic politics. His book project, titled The Appeal of Authoritarianism: A Critical Theory of Citizen-Subject Formation in Turkey, investigates how authoritarian governments appeal to citizens when standard indicators such as economic performance and political stability do not explain their popular support. Building on the tradition of critical theory and ethnographic fieldwork in Turkey, it develops a “practice approach” to authoritarianism. It identifies the techniques used by the regime to produce subjects who refer to extra-communal claims to authority in their political judgments, rather than engaging in democratic politics in the country. Burak’s work won the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award (2023), the Davis Projects for Peace Grant (2024), and WPSA’s William E. Connolly Award for the best paper in contemporary democratic thought (2026). He holds an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago and dual BAs in Political Science and Sociology from Boğaziçi University in Turkey.