Doctoral Dissertation Research: Legacy Institutions and Political Order in Weak States

概述这个项目调查了非国家机构在弱国建立政治秩序的能力的变化。在一些地方，酋长、氏族、苏丹国或王国履行国家的许多职能：执行法律法规、收税、保障财产权和确保安全。一些此类机构的领导人表现出了对追随者令人印象深刻的驾驭能力。然而，在其他地方，居民可以自由地违抗他们的领导人，而不受惩罚。PI调查了为什么一些非国家机构的领导人能够命令他们的追随者服从，而其他人则不能。为解决这一问题，该项目采用了人种学技术和在乍得周边地区进行的调查实验，乍得在2014年脆弱国家指数中排名第六。该项目有助于了解与贫穷和发展中国家的治理、秩序、合法性和合规有关的机制。对于关心政府稳定和问责的决策者来说，了解这些机制尤为重要。技术概述该项目将进行调查实验，以测试传统机构领导人在多大程度上能够促使他们的追随者遵守规定。关键的随机操作将是一项指令是否得到了传统机构领导人的支持。PI将测试两个结果。在“独裁者游戏”的一个版本中做出的贡献是第一个被衡量的结果。答复者决定是否为该区域的非政治性发展项目做出贡献以及贡献多少。这种随机治疗得到了一位传统机构负责人的认可。与会者是否重返与发展有关的信息会议是衡量的第二个结果。PI假设，“接受治疗”的受访者--那些从传统机构领导人那里得到认可的人--将更有可能为项目做出贡献并参加会议。PI使用乍得作为感兴趣的国家。该项目有助于了解与贫穷和发展中国家的治理、秩序和遵守有关的机制。

General SummaryThis project investigates variation in the ability of non-state institutions to produce political order in weak states. In some places, chieftaincies, clans, sultanates, or kingdoms perform many of the functions of a state: enforcing legal codes, collecting taxes, guaranteeing property rights, and ensuring security. The leaders of some such institutions demonstrate an impressive command over their followers. Yet in other places, residents feel free to disobey their leaders with impunity. The PI examines why leaders of some non-state institutions are able to command compliance from their followers while others are not. To address this question, the project employs both ethnographic techniques and a survey experiment in peripheral regions of Chad, which ranked sixth on the 2014 Fragile States Index. This project contributes to understanding about the mechanisms that relate to governance, order, legitimacy, and compliance in poor and developing countries. Understanding these mechanisms is particularly important to policy makers who are interested in governmental stability and accountability. Technical SummaryThe project will conduct survey experiments to test for differences in degree to which legacy institution leaders can induce compliance among their followers. The key randomized manipulation will be whether a directive has the backing of a legacy institution leader. The PI will test two outcomes. Contributions made in a version of the "dictator game" is the first outcome that is measured. The respondent decides whether and how much to contribute to an apolitical development project for the region. The randomized treatment is an endorsement from a legacy institution leader. Whether participants return to a development-related information session is the second outcome measured. The PI hypothesizes that "treated" respondents--those who hear an endorsement from a legacy institution leader--will be more likely to contribute to the project and to attend the meeting. The PI uses Chad as the country of interest. This project contributes to understanding about the mechanisms that relate to governance, order, and compliance in poor and developing countries.