Adamu K. Shauku, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor Cassety Hall 221Phone: (716) 878-3913
Email: shaukuak@buffalostate.edu
A.K. Shauku began his career in U.S. Army Intelligence, collecting intelligence on North Korea in support of National Security Agency objectives and serving as a translator/liaison between the U.S. and South Korean militaries. He is a graduate of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (Korean) and the U.S. Army Signals Intelligence School (Cryptology). He was awarded the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korea Defense Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, and other awards for his service.
Dr. Shauku holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Alabama, with subfield specialization in American Politics, Public Policy & Administration, and Comparative Politics; a JD from the University of Alabama School of Law, with experience in Family Court Mediation; and a dual BA in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Dr. Shauku is the coordinator of Buffalo State's Pre-Law Program and teaches courses across the curriculum, including:
- PSC 101 Intro to Government & Politics
- PSC 102: Intro to American Government & Politics
- PSC 203: Political Analysis (Research Design)
- PSC 210: The American Presidency
- PSC 221: Judicial Process & Politics
- PSC 225: Politics of Diversity and Justice
- PSC 250: Intro to Law
- PSC 317: U.S. Constitutional Law (Governmental Powers)
- PSC 320: U.S. Constitutional Law (Civil Liberties)
- PSC 330: American Foreign Policy
- PSC 364/PAD 540: American Public Policy
- PSC 410: Political Behavior & Public Opinion
- PSC 420: Contemporary Constitutional Issues
- PSC 426: Mediation (& Other Forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution)
- PAD 502 Administrative Law
and periodic special topics courses.
Dr. Shauku studies institutional formation and institutional change, focusing on political and legal institutions—their logics, their limits, and their substitutes. His most recent publications include:
- Shauku, A.K., and Josephine Mason. Forthcoming (2027). “Rule(s) of Law: Regional Variation in the Application of Constitutional Rights.” In Open Judicial Politics, vol. 4, eds. Rorie Spill Solberg and Eric Waltenburg. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University.
- Shauku, A.K. Forthcoming. Intercircuit Conflict in the US Courts of Appeals and American Federalism. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan.
- Shauku, A.K., and Peter Yacobucci. Forthcoming. Government & Politics of the U.S.: A Reader. Solana Beach, CA: Cognella.
- Shauku, A.K. 2025. “Considering the Costs of Circuit Conflict.” Journal of Political Science and Public Opinion 3(1): 122. doi:10.33790/jpspo1100122.
- Shauku, A.K. 2023. “Emulation and Innovation in the Constitutional System.” In The U.S. Constitution in 5 Minutes, eds. Joseph L. Smith and David E. Klein. Sheffield, UK: Equinox Publishing, 17–20.
- Shauku, A.K. 2022. “American Hospital Association v. Becerra on Administrative Power over Health Care Funding.” In SCOTUS 2022: Major Decisions and Developments of the US Supreme Court, ed. Morgan Marietta. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 109–16. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-18468-0_10.
- Shauku, A.K. 2020. “Institutional Entrepreneurship and Evolution: Making Sense of the American Judiciary.” In Philosophy, Politics, and Austrian Economics, Advances in Austrian Economics, vol. 25, eds. Daniel J. D’Amico and Adam G. Martin. Bingley, UK: Emerald Publishing, 191–208.
Select Working Papers
- Shauku, A.K. 2025. “Budget Politics and Partisan Stereotypes: Deficit Spending and Negative Agenda-Setting.” In The US Presidency and Executive Power II, 57th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association. November 8, 2025. Philadelphia, PA.
- Shauku, A.K. 2024. “Polycentricity in the American Judiciary.” In Legal Doctrines and Their Political Effects, 56th Annual Meeting of the Northeastern Political Science Association. November 15, 2024. Boston, MA.
Select Blog Entries