The Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) is thrilled to share the news that Francis Fukuyama, Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) and Director of Stanford’s Ford Dorsey Masters in International Policy Program, has been selected as the recipient of the 2024 Fred Riggs Award for Lifetime Achievement in International and Comparative Public Administration.

Widely considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of public administration, the Fred Riggs Award was established by SICA, the Section on International and Comparative Administration of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), in 1985 to recognize those who have made significant, substantial, and widely recognized contributions to the conceptual, theoretical, or operational development of international, comparative, or development administration. In their announcement of the award, SICA noted that “Dr. Fukuyama and Dr. Fred Riggs share a curiosity about diverse societies, interdisciplinarity, and a broad conception of our field” and that Fukuyama’s long-standing dedication to academic research in comparative public administration earned him this distinguished recognition.

Dr. Fukuyama has written widely on issues in development and international politics. His 1992 book, The End of History and the Last Man, has appeared in over twenty foreign editions. His most recent book, Liberalism and Its Discontents, was published in May 2022.

Dr. Fukuyama's selection for the award underscores his profound impact on the field of public administration. In his nomination letter, Dr. Alasdair Roberts, professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, shared that his “sophisticated discussion of concepts and problems in the field has been combined with concern for careful empirical investigation.”

SICA Chair Aroon P. Manoharan added, “It is impressive to note that [Fukuyama’s] works have been widely cited and significantly impacted the field. [His] 2004 book State-Building has been cited more than 4,400 times (Google Scholar), and [his] 2013 article "What is governance?" in Governance in 2013 has been cited more than a thousand times. Dr. Roberts also notes that [Fukuyama is] "one of those rare scholars capable of engaging and informing public policy without any loss of scholarly rigor and depth." [His] essays "America in Decay" (Foreign Affairs) and "In Defense of the Deep State" (Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Administration) have been enormously influential to the broader community on the crucial issues in administration and governance.”

“I’m really proud to receive this award,” Fukuyama said. “My own field of political science does not take public administration with anything like the seriousness it deserves. Public administration plays a vital role in the shaping of societies worldwide.”