While the populations of wealthy modern states primarily identify with their nation, middle- and low-income countries often contain large populations that adhere to distinct subnational identities. We model a central government elite that has a conflictual relationship with its “tribal...

This paper studies the long-run effects of non-strategic administrative failures on voter participation. I exploit a natural experiment from Berlin’s 2021 elections, in which hundreds of precincts experienced ballot shortages, multi-hour queues, and unlawful polling closures. Using...

Across the Chinese borderlands, investments in large-scale transnational infrastructure such as roads and special economic zones have increased exponentially over the past two decades. Based on long-term ethnographic research, Borderland Infrastructures addresses a major contradiction at the...

What is the effect of state capacity on economic development? I argue that strong and centralised states are capable of mobilising the resources required to establish an efficient administration and provide public goods, which are preconditions for modern economic growth. To test this...

Zheng Yongnian's article "Discovering the Power of State: Chinese Thinking on State Power and Economic Management" offers an analysis of the role of the Chinese state in economic development. The article argues that the Chinese state has been a key factor in China's economic success, using a...