Rate My Professor John Maltese

John Maltese is the Albert Berry Saye Professor of American Government and Constitutional Law, University Professor, and Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Georgia, where he also serves as Associate Dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. He earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University in 1989, an M.A. in Political Science from the same institution in 1986, and a B.S. in Political Science from Duke University in 1982. Joining the University of Georgia in 1989 as an Assistant Professor, he advanced to Associate Professor in 1996, full Professor in 2006, Department Head from 2008 to 2016, Interim Associate Dean from 2016 to 2017, and Associate Dean since 2017. He is the founding director of the SPIA at Oxford Study Abroad Program and a member of the UGA Teaching Academy.

Maltese's research specializations include the Supreme Court appointment process, federal judicial selection, presidential-press relations, U.S. presidency, and constitutional law. His influential publications encompass The Selling of Supreme Court Nominees (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995; winner of the C. Herman Pritchett Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association), Spin Control: The White House Office of Communications and the Management of Presidential News (University of North Carolina Press, 1992; second place Frank Luther Mott Award), The Politics of the Presidency (multiple editions co-authored with Joseph A. Pika and others, 11th revised edition forthcoming 2026), American Government in Context (co-authored with Joseph A. Pika and W. Phillips Shively, Sage/CQ Press, 2020), and numerous book chapters such as “Rivalry for Power in the Judicial Appointment Process” (2022) and articles including “Confirmation Gridlock: The Federal Judicial Appointments Process under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush” (Journal of Appellate Practice and Process, 2003). Major awards include Georgia Professor of the Year (Carnegie Foundation and CASE, 2004), Josiah Meigs Excellence in Teaching Award (2004), Lothar A. Tresp Outstanding Honors Professor Award (2008), and University Professor designation (2023). He has directed conferences, such as the 2007 Jimmy Carter presidency event aired on C-SPAN, contributed editorials to the Washington Post and Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and provided commentary for C-SPAN, Fox News, National Public Radio, and international media.