01321nam a22001457a 450000500170000002000180001708200140003510000230004924500990007226000490017130000220022050400410024252008660028365000260114920260706115008.0  a9781009589239  a352.63KUI  a Kuipers, Nicholas  aStates against nations:bmeritocracy, patronage, and the challenges of bureaucratic selection   aCambridge bCambridge University Pressc2025  axvi, 242p.b24 cm  aBibliographical references and index  an 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.  aPolitical development