{"product_id":"states-against-nations-meritocracy-patronage-and-the-challenges-of-bureaucratic-selection-hardback-9781009589215","title":"States against Nations; Meritocracy, Patronage, and the Challenges of Bureaucratic Selection (Hardback) 9781009589215","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eStates against Nations\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eMeritocracy, Patronage, and the Challenges of Bureaucratic Selection\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eBy focusing on governments' use of meritocratic selection of bureaucrats, this book unearths a tension between state- and nation-building.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eNicholas Kuipers (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781009589215, Cambridge University Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 7 August 2025\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e266 pages\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 1.6 cm, 0.545 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e'The book's breadth is impressive, and its argument opens a new avenue in the study of state formation and conflict. While some empirical claims are more convincing than others, and several links in the causal chain remain only partially substantiated, the book succeeds in reframing a foundational debate in the conflict literature. Rather than treating state capacity as mostly pacifying, Kuipers highlights how the very institutions that strengthen states may also deepen social exclusion and political resentment.' Krzysztof Krakowski, Journal of Peace Research\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eIn States Against Nations, Nicholas Kuipers questions the virtues of meritocratic recruitment as the ideal method of bureaucratic selection. Kuipers 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.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e1. Introduction\u003cbr\u003e 2. State-Building, Nation-Building, and a Theory of How Bureaucratic Selection Affects Both\u003cbr\u003e 3. Why Reform? Meritocratic Recruitment in Comparative and Historical Perspective\u003cbr\u003e 4. Explaining The Heightened Demand for Government Jobs\u003cbr\u003e 5. The Effect of Selection via Meritocracy in Contemporary Indonesia\u003cbr\u003e 6. Meritocracy and Patronage in Colonial Southeast Asia\u003cbr\u003e 7. Global Statistical Analyses: Some Indirect Tests\u003cbr\u003e 8. Conclusion.\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: Comparative politics [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on Comparative politics\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22Comparative%20politics%20%5BJPB%5D%22\"\u003eJPB\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Cambridge University Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52415665799448,"sku":"9781009589215","price":78.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781009589215i.jpg?v=1784421236","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/states-against-nations-meritocracy-patronage-and-the-challenges-of-bureaucratic-selection-hardback-9781009589215","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}