I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the National University of Singapore. My research explores the psychological and sociological processes that shape political outcomes. I am particularly interested in understanding how psychological factors—such as personality, identity, and cognitive predispositions—interact with sociological influences, such as social norms and networks, to shape exclusionary intergroup attitudes, voting behavior, and policy preferences. Through this work, I seek to understand when, where, and for whom social institutions support or undermine democratic processes, with a particular emphasis on Southeast Asia and the Muslim world.

My book project, which is currently under review, explains the puzzle of why Muslim societies often feature higher exclusionary religious attitudes than non-Muslim societies. I argue that religiously homogeneous friendship networks of Muslims in Muslim countries are responsible for these exclusionary attitudes.

I demonstrate that religiously homogeneous friendships shape negative interfaith attitudes by reinforcing exclusive religious identity. At the same time, while drawing attention to the importance of social networks in shaping political behavior in Muslim countries, I also highlight policy and social interventions aimed at promoting diverse friendships and enchancing the overall quality of interfaith ties

I obtained my Ph.D. in political science in May 2018 from the University of Notre Dame, USA. In addition to a Ph.D. in political science, I also have an M.S. in computational statistics and an M.A. in social psychology.

In the summer of 2012, I interned as political data analyst for Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign Headquarters in Chicago. Prior to joining NUS, I was a postdoctoral fellow with the Politics of Inequality Project at the University of Konstanz, Germany and the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at the University of Notre Dame, USA.

I can be reached through email:
nathanael.sumaktoyo@nus.edu.sg