Deeply divided societies have long been seen as terrible terrain for democracy. Yet some countries across Asia (India, Indonesia) have managed to establish more durable democracies than other similar countries (Pakistan, Malaysia). Why? In Maya Tudor's new book project, she argues that a country’s founding national narrative, if inclusive, can be an important resource for overcoming social divisions and stabilising democracy. Focusing an analytic lens on foundational national narratives not only helps explain puzzling regime patterns across Asia but also broadly shapes a country’s democratic prospects across time. In short, inclusive nationalism can be a democratic resource.

Dr. Maya Tudor’s research investigates the origins of stable, democratic and effective states across the developing world, with a particular emphasis upon South Asia.  She was educated at Stanford University (BA in Economics) and Princeton University (MPA in Development Studies and PhD in Politics and Public Policy).  She has held fellowships at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Oxford University’s Centre for the Study of Inequality and Democracy.  During the 2018-2019 academic year, she was a fellow at Stanford University's Center for the Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.