Publications

This project builds on a replication analysis of a nationwide audit experiment in Indian cities to better understand the underlying sources of the divide in political responsiveness between majority and minority elected officials. The initial research examined why politicians in host societies discriminate against migrants when providing constituency services and found that politicians’ beliefs about migrants’ low turnout propensity in local city elections undermines the ability of migrant groups to secure basic services from the state. In my replication, I extend the analysis to specifically examine differences between local elected officials of majority Hindu and minority Muslim faiths. I find that minority Muslim councilors are more likely to respond to consistency service requests from unregistered migrants than majority Hindu councilors, despite lacking electoral incentives to do so. I explain these results as indicative of social-psychological motivations among minority representatives.

Urban migration and ethnic attachments

This study uses experimental and observational data from two Indian states, Bihar and Kerala, to examine how exposure to migration affects social norms, identity attachments, and political preferences among migrants and left-behind family members. Drawing on insights from an original conjoint experiment (n=2,912) and a public opinion survey (n=1725), I find that migrants are less likely invoke co-ethnicity while evaluating candidates for local council positions and exhibit a stronger inclination to vote for national parties over regional ones relative to non-migrants. These findings are consistent with classical modernization theories, where spatial mobility through increased rural-urban migration strengthens national identification, eroding the influence of local ethnic attachments on political preferences. They also speak to a broader pattern of political change in which migrants become more nationalized in their political orientations, while non-migrants remain more locally oriented.

The effects of exposure to slow-onset disasters on political behavior

with Ritwika Basu

How does exposure to slow-onset disasters impact political behavior? While natural disasters have well-documented economic, social, and psychological effects, their long-run political impacts remain understudied. Disasters can erode political trust and reduce participation, but they also create opportunities for states to extend their presence in underserved areas and for citizens to update their expectations of state capacity. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork and citizen surveys from Bihar and Gujarat – two Indian states facing acute climate risks – this study examines how slow-onset disasters, such as recurrent floods and droughts, shape political preferences and claim-making practices among affected households. Initial findings reveal that households more severely exposed to disasters exhibit higher levels of civic engagement and protest participation compared to less exposed households. These results demonstrate how climate risks intersect with household political strategies to shape accountability mechanisms by driving increased demands for redistribution and improved public goods provision.