Identity and State Capacity: Religious Discrimination in Late-imperial Russia

Posted on by Volha Charnysh

Scholars of state capacity and ethnic politics rarely talk to each other. Yet ethnic identity plays an important role in the development of state institutions, as highlighted in a number of recent posts.[1] In a brand-new World Politics article,[2] I contribute to the scholarship on the relationship between ethnic identity and state building by highlighting … Continue reading Identity and State Capacity: Religious Discrimination in Late-imperial Russia

Count me if you can: Religious minorities and legibility in Imperial Russia

Posted on by Volha Charnysh
Illustration from Rubakin 1912

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how important it is for states to have information about the societies they govern. In a scramble to contain a public health crisis, governments across the world – from the United States to India – are influencing how often we wash our hands and how many friends we meet. Public … Continue reading Count me if you can: Religious minorities and legibility in Imperial Russia

Hollowing out the state

Posted on by Pavithra Suryanarayan

I doubt many of us picking out our 2020 American politics bingo cards anticipated a pitched battle over the continued existence of the post office. Or, that the USCIS could run out of funds, essentially halting legal immigration into the country (a more ludicrous aspect of this particular saga is that the USCIS has been … Continue reading Hollowing out the state