Harvard Center for International Development 243d ago

Building state capacity is an investment problem—and like any investment, it’s harder to make when the future feels uncertain.” — Michael Callen, Associate Professor of Economics, London School of Economics At Harvard CID’s Friday Speaker Series, Michael Callen explored how beliefs about political stability and inclusion shape real-world efforts to build the state. His research focuses on how fragile democracies invest in lasting institutions and what happens when trust falters. Drawing on a nationwide field experiment in Nepal, Callen and his co-authors surveyed more than 4,000 local politicians and bureaucrats, randomly sharing facts about Nepal’s stability and representation before asking participants to complete a genuine administrative task for a new citizen registry. Those who learned the country was more stable were more likely to follow through, while “bad news” on inclusion reduced participation, especially among women and Janajati officials. Callen’s takeaway: beliefs build states. Confidence in fair, stable, and representative institutions can spur investment in the public good, while doubt and exclusion can erode it. Visit our website: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid Please follow us @HarvardCID on: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvardcid Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/harvardcid/ Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/harvard-cid Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/harvardcid.bsky.social Stay up to date with CID Events and jobs/opportunities by signing up for our newsletter: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/centers/cid/subscribe #HarvardCID #StateCapacity #InstitutionalUncertainty #FragileStates #Nepal #DevelopmentEconomics #PoliticalEconomy #Inclusion #Governance #TrustInInstitutions