Understanding Indonesia's Post-Independence Elite: Data from the Constitutional Assembly

Using previously un-mined data on more than 600 members of Indonesia's Constitutional Assembly (1956-1959), this seminar will present a detailed picture of the political elites of post-independence Indonesia. The data, self-reported by members, includes age, educational level, past organizational activity, gender distribution, and more. This allows broader conclusions about the nature of a post-decolonization elite in the world's largest Muslim country.

CIS-Sponsored Book Launch: 'The Virtual Weapon and International Order’

*Abstract:* The cyber revolution is the revolution of our time. The rapid expansion of cyberspace in society brings both promise and peril. It promotes new modes of political cooperation, but it also disrupts interstate dealings and empowers subversive actors who may instigate diplomatic and military crises. Despite significant experience with cyber incidents, the conceptual apparatus to analyse, understand, and address their effects on international order remains primitive.

'Improving Political Communication: Results from a Pilot Field Experiment in Pakistan'

Abstract: Elections are a blunt tool for accountability. Can enhanced politician-voter communication in the periods between elections improve democratic outcomes? We partner with a politician in Pakistan and design an experiment with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) --- a technology that enables him to robocall a large number of voters in his own voice to ask them questions and receive feedback. We randomize whether respondents receive a call soliciting preferences about upcoming decisions the politician must make.

Davids and Goliath: Can an area studies-global IR conversation help shape the discipline? (CIS, SIAS and ESC Co-Sponsored Talk)

*Abstract:* In the study and practice of International Relations (IR), contributions from area studies face mounting challenges. These emanate from both the disciplinary mainstream, which privileges large-N, quantifiable knowledge, and from the policy arena, which is trending towards de-funding and de-legitimization of fine-grained expertise on other world regions. Yet, the realities of global power shift and Western retrenchment suggest that the time has never been riper to infuse IR with insights into political perspectives driving pathways beyond the West.
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