African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting; San Francisco, CA

Conference:  2023 African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting; San Francisco, CA
November 30 – December 2, 2023

Presentation: “The Impact of Institutional Quality on Citizen Compliance: Evidence from Africa"

Report:

I had the privilege of participating in the African Studies Association (ASA) conference, which took place from November 30th to December 2nd, 2023, in San Francisco, CA. This event not only provided a platform for presenting my research but also offered valuable opportunities for professional development through engaging discussions, networking, and collaboration.

My presentation explored how governmental control of corruption could act as a catalyst for promoting tax compliance among citizens, especially in contexts of limited state capacity. This is particularly important for these contexts where governments are unable to adequately extract all potential taxes. The conference proved instrumental in refining my research, thanks to the insightful feedback provided by Leonardo Arriola, a distinguished scholar from the University of California Berkeley and a former visiting fellow at the Kellogg Institute. Arriola's comments prompted me to consider additional confounding factors, such as the impact of variables like crude oil production, GDP, and government sanctions, as well as dealing with methodological issues such as social desirability bias, enriching my analysis.

Beyond the academic exchange, the conference facilitated meaningful connections with fellow scholars, including a productive dialogue with Danny Choi from Brown University. Our discussions, centered around democratic accountability in the African continent, generated valuable insights that are poised to enhance my dissertation as I prepare for fieldwork this coming summer. Additionally, Professor Choi has offered to have ongoing discussions and is willing to give me additional feedback as his research on accountability in Kenya aligns with my dissertation work on institutions and accountability in Ghana.

Participating in various panels, particularly the African Politics Conference Group, allowed me to engage with political scientists focusing on diverse topics across the African continent. These interactions culminated in a collaborative effort to propose a panel for the upcoming American Political Science Association (APSA) conference in Philadelphia in September 2024. This panel will explore policy interventions and institutional designs aimed at fostering cohesion and stability in societies marked by social divisions, with presenters drawing on varying case studies including countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. As a panelist, I am excited to present my paper on the impact of electoral competition on accountability, trust, and political behaviour.

An integral aspect of professional development during the conference was my meeting with Helena Hurd, a senior editor with Routledge’s Global Development and African Studies series. Her expressed interest in my research and insights into the publishing process, particularly the transformation of a dissertation into a book. My meeting with her increased my understanding of the publishing process, especially the process of transforming a dissertation into a book which I hope to do upon completion of my PhD.

The conference's social events, such as the Kellogg Institute's happy hour, facilitated networking opportunities that extended beyond my political science discipline. Through this, I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce Wydick, a research affiliate of the Kellogg Institute and a professor of economics and international studies at the University of San Francisco. Our shared interests led to an invitation to participate in bi-weekly online workshops organized by the Collaborative for Econometrics and Integrated Development Studies (CEIDS).

In sum, the ASA conference emerged as a success, contributing significantly to both my intellectual and professional growth. The experience not only helped improve my research but also fostered collaborations, expanded my professional network, and provided insights on publishing in academia.