Research

Working Papers

Ideology in Government: Evidence from the Office of Indian Affairs and the Assimilation Era
(with Eric Chyn and Kareem Haggag)

Abstract

This paper studies the ideology of government officials by examining the Indian Affairs office and systematically exploring the detailed writings and reports of bureaucrats charged with administering federal policy. The Office of Indian Affairs offers a powerful lens through which to study state ideology, given its long-standing authority over land, education, and legal governance of Native populations in the U.S. We digitize the agency’s archival records and use computational tools to conduct large-scale analysis on the strength of support for the organization’s assimilationist policies and goals among members of its workforce during the 19th and early 20th centuries. We document major shifts in ideological commitments that coincide with the entry—and eventual exit—of social reformers nominated for high-level agency positions by religious organizations. We find that ideology within the bureaucracy appears to moderate around the turn of the century despite the organization’s overall continued pursuit of major assimilation policies and goals, such as the promotion of farming and enrollment at off-reservation Indian boarding schools. To examine performance implications of ideology within the bureaucracy, we conclude with an analysis of land allotment policy after the passage of the Dawes Act. We provide evidence showing that the agencies with local staff who express greater past commitment to assimilationist goals carried out more land allotment immediately after Dawes became law.

Assimilation Policy, Integration, and Identity: Evidence from American Indian Boarding Schools
(New version coming soon)
This paper supersedes Coercive Assimilation Policy Across Generations: Evidence from American Indian Boarding Schools

Work in Progress

The Discovery of the American Tramp: Labels, Attitudes, and Outcomes of the Poor in 19th Century America
(with Alba Miñano-Mañero)

Racial Epithets and Identity: Evidence from Mexican Americans in the U.S. Southwest
(with Alba Miñano-Mañero)

Assimilation Policy and Indigenous Political Institutions: Evidence from American Indian Constitutions
(with Sara Benetti and Carla Srebot)