Priyadarshi Amar

HOME

RESEARCH

TEACHING

Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Mannheim

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher on the TRAPP project ("Trafficking Risks: AI for Proactive Protection") at the University of Mannheim, affiliated with the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES) and the Chair of Social Data Science. I am also an associated researcher at the Global Responsible Technology Lab (GRTL). Previously, I was a postdoctoral researcher on the POLARCHATS project at University Carlos III - Madrid and Instituto Juan Linz (formerly, Institute Carlos III-Juan March). I received a Ph.D. jointly in Political Science and Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

My research centers on local governance and misinformation, with a particular empirical focus on India. My dissertation examines how electoral institutions interact with social norms to shape political representation in Indian village governments, especially for marginalized groups. Beyond my dissertation, I study misinformation dynamics, focusing on how false information spreads and strategies to counter misinformation.

My work is published in American Political Science Review. I have received multiple awards for my research, including the Best Dissertation Prize in Comparative Politics from UW-Madison (2025), the Best Dissertation Prize in Diversity, Equity, Justice & Power from UW-Madison (2025), the Best Paper Award from the APSA Experimental Research section (2025), the Best Paper Award from the APSA Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior (2025), and Sage Best Paper Honorable Mention from the APSA Comparative Politics section (2025). My research projects have been funded by the Social Science Research Council's Mercury Project Award, Rapoport Family Foundation, Elections Research Center, Trice Graduate Research Award Fund, and the Political Science Graduate Award Fund.

Prior to starting my PhD, I worked as a research assistant at Indian School of Business and Delhi School of Economics' Center for Development Economics. I hold a M.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a M.Sc. in Financial Mathematics from King’s College London, and a B.Sc. in Statistics from the University of Delhi.

You can access my CV here.

CONTACT

Universität Mannheim
A 5, 6 – Bauteil A, Raum A 312
68159 Mannheim, Germany

priyadarshi[dot]amar[at]gmail[dot]com
priyadarshi[dot]amar[at]uni-mannheim[dot]de

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Countering Misinformation Early: Evidence from a Classroom-Based Field Experiment in India with Sumitra Badrinathan, Simon Chauchard, and Florian Sichart [American Political Science Review 120(2): 725–745 (2026)]
[+] Abstract Replication Data Supplementary Materials Pre-analysis plan
Media Coverage: The Hindu The Print VoxDev Stanford Social Innovation Review Awards: APSA Experimental Research Section Best Paper Award (2025); APSA Elections, Public Opinion, and Voting Behavior Best Paper Award (2025); Honorable Mention for the APSA Comparative Politics Section Sage Best Paper Award (2025)

Misinformation poses serious risks for democratic governance, conflict, and health. This study evaluates whether sustained, classroom-based education against misinformation can equip schoolchildren to become more discerning consumers of information. Partnering with a state government agency in Bihar, India, we conducted a field experiment in 583 villages with 13,500 students, using a 4-month curriculum designed to build skills, shift norms, and enhance knowledge about health misinformation. Intent-to-treat estimates demonstrate that treated respondents were significantly better at discerning true from false information, altered their health preferences, relied more on science, and reduced their dependence on unreliable news sources. We resurveyed participants 4 months post-intervention and found that effects persisted, as well as extended to political misinformation. Finally, we observe within-household treatment diffusion, with parents of treated students becoming more adept at discerning information. As many countries seek long-term solutions to combat misinformation, these findings highlight the promise of sustained classroom-based education.

WORKING PAPERS

Valuing Truth in a Misinformation-Rich Environment: Experimental Evidence from India with Sumitra Badrinathan, Simon Chauchard, and Florian Sichart [Revise & Resubmit, Science Advances]
[+] Abstract Pre-analysis plan Draft available on request

Prevailing scholarship on misinformation predicts that false information should spread most readily in environments marked by low education, weak institutions, limited digital access, and strong social conformity pressures. Yet the populations most often described as vulnerable to misinformation remain largely absent from empirical research. We address this gap using an in-person vignette conjoint experiment with approximately 6,000 adolescents in rural Bihar, India, a setting that closely approximates these theorized “worst-case” conditions. We independently randomize message veracity as well as background characteristics of information such as the source, transmitter, social endorsement, and topic, and examine whether, and under what conditions, misinformation is shared. Contrary to expectations, respondents exhibit a consistent preference for sharing true over false information. Veracity is by far the largest predictor of sharing behavior across all demographic and village-level characteristics, despite respondents never being explicitly informed whether claims were true or false. At the same time, this preference for veracity erodes meaningfully when misinformation is paired with credible institutional sources, trusted local transmitters, and broad social endorsement. These findings challenge alarmist narratives about misinformation vulnerability in the Global South and suggest that misinformation gains traction not because individuals are indifferent to truth, but because credibility-enhancing institutional cues can overwhelm otherwise robust preferences for accuracy.

Missing from the Middle: Patriarchal Constraints and the Invisibilization of Women in Everyday Governance with Apurva Bamezai and Rithika Kumar [Under Review]
[+] Abstract Working Paper

Studies on women's representation often examine the consequences of their formal inclusion (e.g. from policy implementation to legislative behavior). However, when the requirements of the office stand in tension with the underlying patriarchal constraints shaping women's lives, we propose stepping back to ask whether formal inclusion even brings women to the table to govern. We answer this question by investigating the presence of female leaders in the formal and informal spaces of routine governance i.e. the ``missing middle'' where frequent interactions between the state, its actors and citizens define politics in the Global South. We use multiple original surveys (N~4400) of citizens, candidates and representatives across two states in India to collect data on three different ethnographically informed behavioral measures of governance --- accessibility to citizens, visibility in the community and attendance in meetings. We find a persistent gender gap across these measures, albeit to a varying degree, that confirms the systematic invisibilization of women in the critical measures of everyday governance. Consequently, we find the striking presence of male family members in governance that we argue is a feature of the patriarchal constraints that structure women's leadership. Our findings provide critical insights for policymakers and suggest the need to reorient our focus on female representation to intermediary spaces where formal inclusion translates into substantive representation or is stalled.

Do Electoral Quotas for Marginalized Ethnic Groups Improve Women's Representation? Evidence from India [Under Review]
[+] Abstract Draft available on request

Do electoral quotas without gender-based provisions affect women's political representation? This study examines whether India's caste-based electoral quotas, designed to address caste exclusion, impact women's political representation in village elections. I argue that caste quotas enhance women's representation through two complementary mechanisms: differing gender norms across caste groups and reduced political competition in seats where quotas are in place. By leveraging the quasi-random variation in caste quota assignment across village councils in Maharashtra, I found that these quotas increase women's candidacy by 40% and more than double their chances of winning office, despite the absence of gender provisions. Utilizing secondary survey data and innovative administrative data, I provide evidence that supports my theory. These findings highlight that electoral reforms without gender provisions can shape gendered patterns of political power and create alternative pathways for women’s political representation.

Do Electoral Eligibility Laws Hurt Political Candidacy of Specific Groups? Evidence from India [Under Review]
[+] Abstract Draft available on request

Governments worldwide regulate political candidacy through various socio-demographic criteria. This paper examines electoral laws that disqualify citizens with more than two children from contesting local government offices in India. These laws aimed to leverage politicians' community influence to shape family size norms. Using variation in law adoption across states and a difference-in-differences framework, I analyze effects on political candidacy across major social groups. I find that fertility limits reduce Muslim candidacy but have no significant effect on overall candidate numbers or the candidacy of other major groups. I argue that this stems from the dilemma candidates' face between legal compliance and social norms regarding family size. An original survey of 500 village politicians supports this theory. The paper demonstrates that electoral laws established to impact social norms may deter marginalized groups from political participation, thereby raising concerns on equal representation opportunities to all.

WORKS IN PROGRESS

The Effects of Executive Selection Methods On Political Entry and Exit: Evidence from Village Elections in India with Varun Karekurve-Ramachandra

Beyond the Quota: Understanding Women's Political Exits in India's Village Elections with Anwesha Bhattacharya

The Limits of Intra-Party Competition for Women's Political Representation with Kamya Yadav, Anirvan Chowdhury, and Varun Karekurve-Ramachandra

Shaping Online Public Opinion: Micro-influencing Strategies in India and Brazil with Simon Chauchard and Fernando B. Mello

Who Benefits from Quotas? Evidence from Local Politics with Komal Preet Kaur

Weathering the Vote: How Temperature Extremes Shape Political Participation in India with Patrick Behrer, Anwesha Bhattacharya, Shweta Bhogale, and Bhavya Srivastava

OTHER WRITING

Inoculating India's Youth: Media Literacy as a Tool Against Misinformation, India in Transition, Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania.
Also published in Scroll.in and The Wire.

Review of Public Financial Management, State Capacity, and Public Services in India by Santhosh Mathew, Bhumi Purohit, and Devesh Sharma — South Asia Reading Group, Berkeley India Center (2026). [Review] [SARG page]

Review of Building Social Mobility: How Subsidized Homeownership Creates Wealth, Dignity, and Voice in India by Tanu Kumar — South Asia Reading Group, Berkeley India Center (2025). [Review] [SARG page]

University Carlos III -- Madrid

Mathematics for Social Sciences and Basic Statistics
Instructor. Masters in Social Sciences

Nalanda University

Math camp
Visiting Instructor. MA Economics

University Of Mumbai

Understanding Political Numbers and Text Analysis
Visiting Instructor. MA Public Policy

University Of Wisconsin-Madison

Game Theory for Graduate Students
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Prof. Andrew Kydd

Research Design for Undergraduates
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Prof. Jonathan Renshon

Understanding Political Numbers
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Dr. Evan Morier

Introduction to Public Policy
Reader/Grader. Instructor: Dr. Joel Clark

ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods, University of Michigan

Introduction to Python
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Dr. Omer F. Yalcin

Mathematics for Social Scientists III
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Prof. Tim McDaniel

Rational Choice Theories of Politics and Society
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Prof. James Johnson

Indian School of Business

Managerial Economics
Teaching Assistant. Instructor: Prof. Sisir Debnath