Meritocracy and Refinement of Authoritarianism in Growing Inequality

Regular Session

The term meritocracy has met an explosive number of occurrences in social sciences since 2010s. New studies expand the concept from the classic definition combining intelligence and effort to experience, age and other forms of "merit". However, it remains understudied how meritocracy functions in authoritarian contexts and interacts with authoritarianism. In this panel, we seek to expound the political functions of meritocracy, focusing on but not limited to how it helps demobilize potential opposition and hence contributes to regime resilience. We define meritocracy as any construction of hierarchy and its legitimation based on pre-established criteria. To main tool of implementing meritocracy consists of various selection processes that adapt to local contexts. The rules, procedures, and practices of selection, as well as its impacts on people's daily life, help legitimate political rule and strengthen regime stability. This phenomenon is observed in authoritarian and democratic countries alike and permeates all facets in social life (economic, politics, education, etc.). The stabilizing effect of meritocracy may be even greater when inequality worsens.

This is the central question for this session. We hope to exchange with researchers in three directions: 1. meritocratic selection that (re)produces social inequality; 2. ways in which meritocracy legitimates authoritarian governments’ monopoly on selective power; 3. mechanisms through which meritocracy demobilizes people from political contestation (such as meritocratic discourses and competitive activities). Studies conducted in any of the three directions based on empirical research (qualitative or quantitative) are welcomed.