Organizer: NYSEAN

Type/Location: Hybrid / New York, NY

Description:

Join NYSEAN for a talk by Nicholas Kuipers about his new book, States Against Nations. In his book, Kuipers questions the virtues of meritocratic recruitment as the ideal method of bureaucratic selection. He argues that while civil service reform is often seen as an admirable act of state-building, it can actually undermine nation-building. Throughout the book, he shows that in countries with high levels of group-based inequality, privileged groups tend to outperform marginalized groups on entrance exams, leading to disproportionate representation in government positions. This dynamic exacerbates intergroup tensions and undermines efforts towards nation-building. Drawing on large-scale surveys, experiments, and archival documents, States Against Nations provides a thought-provoking perspective on the challenges of bureaucratic recruitment and unearths an overlooked tension between state- and nation-building.

About the Speaker:

Nicholas Kuipers is an Assistant Professor of Politics. His research concerns topics that span comparative politics, political economy, and public policy. Kuipers has a particular interest in the bureaucracy and a regional interest in Southeast Asia. His ongoing projects are especially focused on documenting the consequences of institutions that govern political and bureaucratic selection. His research has been supported by the Institute for International Studies, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Singapore Ministry of Education (AcRF), the Southeast Asia Research Group (SEAREG), and the Weiss Family Fund. Kuipers is also a non-resident research associate at the Center on the Politics of Development.

Registration:

To attend the event in person, please register here.

To attend the event virtually, please register here.