Rate My Professor David Kanaan

Kanaan's research examines state and local government performance, public policy effectiveness, community engagement and public high school performance, municipal capacity, and economic development outcomes, employing methodologies such as structural equation modeling. He has published peer-reviewed articles in prominent journals including Public Administration Review, Public Performance & Management Review, Journal of Urban Affairs, Education and Urban Society, Public Integrity, Public Administration Quarterly, and Journal of Public & Nonprofit Affairs. Key publications include 'State Tax Policy, Municipal Choice, and Local Economic Development Outcomes: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach to Performance Assessment' (Public Administration Review, 2021, with J.L. Hall), 'All Is Not LOST in Texas? An Outcome-Oriented Analysis of Local Option Sales Tax Choices on Measures of Economic Growth' (Public Performance & Management Review, 2022, with J.L. Hall and H. Qin), 'Social Disorganization, Community Engagement, and Public High School Performance' (Education and Urban Society, 2022), and 'Corruption at the University: The Case of Susanne Boyle' (Public Integrity, 2021, with D. Jancsics). From 2017 to 2021, he served as Managing Editor of Public Administration Review. Kanaan has presented at conferences including the American Society for Public Administration, Urban Affairs Association, and Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. His awards include the Most Influential Public Administration Faculty recognition for 2018-19 and 2020-21 from the SDSU College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, School of Public Affairs, and the SDSU Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award in 2025. As Chair, he spearheaded the launch of the Master of Science in Homeland Security program, Social Work minor, and other initiatives at SDSU Imperial Valley.