The talk focuses on asking what we understand about distributive politics in India and Pakistan and how this interacts with democracy. The panelists are invited to shed light on the everyday practices of distributive politics in India and Pakistan and the interaction between distributive politics and social inequality in the South Asian region.

Adam Auerbach is an assistant professor in the School of International Service at American University. Professor Auerbach's research and teaching focus on local governance, urban politics, and the political economy of development, with a regional focus on South Asia and India in particular. Dr. Aurbach has received an MA in agricultural and applied economics and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Asad Liaqat is a Research Scientist in the Economics and Policy Research team at Meta, where he conducts research on issues related to micro-entrepreneurship and information flow on digital platforms. His research and policy work has focused on political accountability, women’s political participation, political decision-making, and related topics. Dr. Liaqat holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University.  

Jennifer Bussell is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research considers the effects of formal and informal institutions—such as corruption, coalition politics, and federalism—on policy outcomes with her regional focus being South Asia, Africa, Latin America.  Dr. Bussell received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Shandana Mohmand is an Associate Fellow at the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS); and a Fellow at the Mahbub ul Haq Research Centre at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). She also leads the IDS Governance research cluster and the IDS Pakistan Hub. Her research focuses on the relationship between political participation, inequality, and accountability and her research interests include democratisation, local politics, and the political economy of public policy and service delivery. Dr. Mohmand received a  D.Phil in Development Studies and a Masters in Governance and Development from IDS, University of Sussex.