Elites Network Analysis

Much has been made about the importance of elite political connections and networks for promotions, regime stability, policy making, and economic development more broadly. Until recently, however, data and methodological limitations have made it difficult to systematically study the cause and consequences of particular elite network structures. Current projects at ICSID seek to address a number of outstanding questions based on a unique dataset of biographies of 897 governors and representatives of the Russian federal elite from 2000-2012, 3448 officials from the regional elite (2000-2012), and 829 mayors of large cities (1996-2012) that enable the construction of elite power networks. Ongoing work attempts to address a number of important questions about the networks themselves and how they ultimately shape outcomes in a hybrid regime setting. How do individual characteristics and network connections influence promotions and assignments? Do an individual’s network characteristics influence their ability to influence the political process and enact policy? How does variation in the nature of elite networks influence sub-national economic development and policy orientation? How do Russian elite networks compare to those in other middle-income countries in terms of their composition and their overall influence on economic development?

Candidates are welcome to participate in the ongoing projects noted above or to propose their own original topics. Candidates whose research contains a comparative perspective or focuses on non-Russian contexts are particularly welcome to apply. In addition to access to the biographical data discussed above, successful candidates are also invited to use other ISCID databases, including a database on economic and political indicators for Russia’s regions, the results of a survey of 3317 attorneys in 35 regions of Russia, several waves of firm surveys, etc.

The job involves:

·        working in a research group with Dr. Andrei Yakovlev (ayakovlev@hse.ru) and Israel Marques II (imarques@hse.ru).

·        possibility to collaborate with the ICSID team and associate fellows.

·        successful candidates are encouraged to pursue their own research in parallel with ongoing research at ICSID

·        writing research papers for international peer-reviewed journals in co-authorship with researchers

·        some teaching as well as one or two public presentations of the candidate’s own research are also encouraged

·        participation in organization of events and other contributions to the development of ICSID

Requirements:

·        a PhD in Economics, Government, Political science, Public Policy, or Sociology.

·        ability to work in a team

·        experience with network analysis

·        working language is English, knowledge of the Russian language is an asset, but is not required

General conditions for Post-Doctoral Research positions can be found here. Appointments will be normally made for one year. 

A CV and research statement  should be submitted via online application form and two letters of recommendation should be submitted be the referees directly to iri@hse.ru by February 15, 2018. Please note that direct applications to the hiring laboratory may not be reviewed.

About HSE

HSE is a young, dynamic, fast-growing Russian research university providing unique research opportunities.

For more information about HSE, please visit:  International Center for the Study of Institutions and Development (ICSID)

 Apply now