Carl Muller-Crepon

This course is available on the MSc in Political Science (Conflict Studies and Comparative Politics), MSc in Political Science (Global Politics), MSc in Political Science (Political Behaviour), MSc in Political Science (Political Science and Political Economy) and MSc in Public Policy and Administration. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process. For information on controlled access courses, including eligibility, application processes, deadlines, and departmental contact details, please refer to the Controlled Access Courses webpage.

How to apply: To apply for a place on this course, please submit a short statement of no more than 200 words via LfY. Your statement should outline your reasons for applying and explain how the course will support your academic and/or career goals. If applicable, you should also demonstrate how you meet any pre-requisites listed in the course guide. If the course is compulsory for your programme, no written statement is required.

Priority for places on Government (GV) courses will be given first to students for whom the course is compulsory. Where applicable, priority will then be given to students on the Department of Government programmes listed in the ‘Availability’ section of the course guide, followed by students on other programmes listed in that section. Students on all other programmes will be considered next, where a course is available as an outside option. You should ensure that you meet any pre-requisites listed in the course guide before applying. Places on capped courses cannot be guaranteed. Where a course is oversubscribed, places will be allocated based on programme priority and the written statement.

Deadline for applications: The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 25 September 2026. You can expect to be informed of the outcome of your application by 12:00 noon on Monday 28 September 2026. Any places remaining after this date will be allocated based on priority and written statement - up until course selection closes.

For queries contact: gov.msc@lse.ac.uk.

This course is available as an outside option, but priority will be given to students enrolled on programmes in the Department of Government.

Ethnicity constitutes a core political cleavage in democracies and autocracies around the world, shaping elections, redistributive politics, and violent conflict. Yet, at the same time, ethnic identities are constructed through some of the same socio-political processes they affect. This course assesses the political origins and effects of ethnic identities through cutting-edge empirical research in the field. In doing so, it focuses on questions around the formation of ethnic identities and their politicization, core models of ethnic voting and power-sharing, processes of ethnic favoritism, riots, and civil war, and ultimately the making of modern (nation-)states themselves. The course pays particular attention to the interconnections between the origins and effects of politicized ethnicity, thus letting students develop a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

Topics by week

1. The concept of ethnicity
2. States, colonialism, and the shaping of ethnic groups
3. (Re)making ethnicity today
4. Electoral institutions, ethnicity, and voting
5. Ethnic power-sharing
6. Ethnic stacking in bureaucracies and militaries
7. Ethnic favouritism, (re)distribution, and economic development
8. Fighting for power: Ethnicity and political violence
9. Ethnic groups and the making of modern (nation-)states
10. Transformative visions for decoupling ethnic identity from politics

20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.

This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn Term.

Memo (750 words).

Literature-based response memo (max. 750 words) that elaborates on core theoretical, methodological, and empirical critiques of the readings for a class as well as one or more avenues for future research that might address them. The memo forms the basis for a 15-minute student-led teaching element in class. Students are strongly encouraged to use their memo as a steppingstone towards developing their formative research design.

Chandra, K. (2006). What is ethnic identity and does it matter?. Annual Review of Political Science, 9(1), 397-424.
Franck, R., & Rainer, I. (2012). Does the leader's ethnicity matter? Ethnic favoritism, education, and health in sub-Saharan Africa. American Political Science Review, 106(2), 294-325.
Hassan, M. (2017). The strategic shuffle: Ethnic geography, the internal security apparatus, and elections in Kenya. American Journal of Political Science, 61(2), 382-395.
Mamdani, M. (2020). Neither Settler nor Native. Harvard University Press.
Müller‐Crepon, C., Schvitz, G., & Cederman, L. E. (2025). Shaping states into nations: The effects of ethnic geography on state borders. American Journal of Political Science, 69(1), 132-147.
Posner, D. N. (2004). The political salience of cultural difference: Why Chewas and Tumbukas are allies in Zambia and adversaries in Malawi. American Political Science Review, 98(4), 529-545.
Robinson, A. L. (2024). The Political Logic of Cultural Revival: Ethnic Visibility, Linked Fate, and Electoral Politics in Africa. Oxford University Press.

Research design (100%, 2500 words) in Winter Term Week 1.

A research design (max. 2500 words) on any well-defined question of interest that falls within the perimeter of the course. The research design must specify the gap in the literature on the basis of a literature review, develop a theoretically justified and testable hypothesis, and propose an adequate empirical research design to test it for a suitable (set of) case(s). Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the class teacher while elaborating the research design.