Job hunt
08.03.2005As of today, there are 26 listings for schools seeking assistant professors in Comparative Politics for Fall 2006 who'll be meeting job seekers at the upcoming APSA conference in four weeks. I'm hoping to get a chance to sufficiently impress at least one of them. Now I've to boil down my (still-in-progress) dissertation into a 1,000 character (about 100 words) abstract. At least I've already updated my vita.
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UPDATE 1: So far, this is what my abstract (at 988 characters) looks like. Suggestions welcome.
Bolivia's recent political crisis stands in stark contrast to the
proceeding[preceding] two decades of relative democratic stability.This study outlines how institutional design and historical legacies interacted to provide a balance of centripetal and centrifugal incentives that shifted over time.[A unique system of parliamentarized presidentialism coupled with lingering consensus on the national project inherited from the 1952 Revolution supported democratic stability.] Using qualitative and quantitative methods,the[this] study argues that seemingly benign changes in institutional design contributed to the acceleration of already existing tendencies towards divisive sectarian politics, especially along regional and ethniccleavages[lines]. A key observationpresentedis that successful long term democratization requires not only institutions for adequately channeling [and representing] social demandsand representation, but also a shared vision of an "imagined community" that encourages both pluralism and political attachment. The study ends with discussion of the ongoing political crisis and speculation about how institutional design can promote nation building in pluralist societies.
UPDATE 2: The final draft, at 992 characters.
Bolivia's recent political crisis starkly contrasts to the preceding two decades of relative democratic stability. Though a unique system of parliamentarized presidentialism together with lingering consensus on the national project inherited from the 1952 Revolution supported democratic stability, using qualitative and quantitative methods, this study shows that seemingly benign changes in institutional design made in 1994 contributed to the acceleration of already existing tendencies towards divisive sectarian regional and ethnic politics. A key observation is that successful long-term democratization requires both institutions for adequately channeling and representing social demands and a shared vision of a political "imagined community" that encourages both pluralism and civic attachment. The study ends with a discussion of the ongoing political crisis and speculation about when and to what degree institutional design can help promote nation building in pluralist societies.
Posted by Miguel at 06:01 PM
Comments
A quick question, is "imagined community" based on a vision that isn't forced upon, or totally constructed? Are we all products of a constructed identity?
Posted by: Stephanie at August 3, 2005 11:14 PM
I'm using "imagined community" from Benedict Anderson's book of that name. It's based on the idea that nationalisms are constructed identities, even though that makes them just as "real" to the members. The basic idea's that through various symbols (museums, schools, newspaper, etc) nations were "imagined" (and are continuously imagined) by their members. Members can "imagined" their fellow members, even if they've never met them. Another kind of imagined community is a religious one. Say, Christendom, where people belong to a community of believers whose identity is maintained by a constant "imagining" and construction. If that makes sense.
Posted by: Miguel ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.centellas.org/miguel/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 4, 2005 01:25 AM
It sounds to me you are taking a "constructivist" approach which will frame your concept and ultimately your argument theoretically.
But, the question I have is whether you are including, in your argument about institutional design, anything about direct elections of parliamentarians? (that is if you also mean the parliament and elections when you say institutions)
Personally, these thing about party lists looks very wrong to me.
Posted by: MABB at August 4, 2005 05:05 AM
You would consider leaving your precious moped/coffee-loving community of Kalamazoo? ...for a job? Good luck at the conference.
Posted by: j.scott barnard at August 4, 2005 09:57 AM
Makes sense to me. Thanks!
Posted by: Stephanie at August 4, 2005 01:15 PM
@ MABB:
Yes, I do mean direct elections of parliamentarians in terms of institutional design. One of my specific arguments is that the change from simple List-PR to MMP electoral system encouraged sectarian politics. That is, direct election of parliamentarians (especially w/o a runoff or other formula to create a Condorcet winner) led to regionalization of politics, making moderate-centrist politics more difficult. So, yes, institutional design means things like electoral systems and executive-legislative relations. Of course, it also means a bit more than that, such as informal (but adhered to) coalition-building norms.
Posted by: Miguel at August 4, 2005 03:54 PM
You should get a job in Boston.
Posted by: josh at August 7, 2005 12:18 PM
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