I am an Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics at Boston University. I am also affiliated with BREAD, CEPR, and J-PAL.
My research interests are mainly in political economy and development. One strand of my research studies the determinants of political accountability, state capacity, and voting behavior in developing countries. I have worked in various countries including Kenya, Senegal, and Uganda as well as, more recently, Indonesia. Another strand explores the political economy of religion, with the goal of better understanding the interplay between religious institutions, politics, and culture. In addition, I am interested in the study of discrimination and the political economy of urban poverty. I completed my PhD in Economics from MIT in 2018.
VoxEU Column
The surprising benefits of voting for change
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![](../../../../../../../../../../var/folders/34/zq18d8kx7kbgby0j06p_j6t40000gn/T/TemporaryItems/NSIRD_screencaptureui_EM2XPo/Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 17.01.16.png)
- Politics and economics
VoxEU Column
Building a state one step at a time: Evidence from France
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![](../../../../../../../../../../var/folders/34/zq18d8kx7kbgby0j06p_j6t40000gn/T/TemporaryItems/NSIRD_screencaptureui_EM2XPo/Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 17.01.16.png)
- Development ![](../../../../../../../../../../var/folders/34/zq18d8kx7kbgby0j06p_j6t40000gn/T/TemporaryItems/NSIRD_screencaptureui_EM2XPo/Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 17.01.16.png)
- Economic history ![](../../../../../../../../../../var/folders/34/zq18d8kx7kbgby0j06p_j6t40000gn/T/TemporaryItems/NSIRD_screencaptureui_EM2XPo/Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 17.01.16.png)
- Politics and economics ![](../../../../../../../../../../var/folders/34/zq18d8kx7kbgby0j06p_j6t40000gn/T/TemporaryItems/NSIRD_screencaptureui_EM2XPo/Screenshot 2022-01-04 at 17.01.16.png)
- Institutions and economics