Why Citizens Don’t Hold Politicians Accountable for Air Pollution

You’re invited to a Global Challenges to Democracy Seminar Series event featuring Tariq Thachil, Professor, Madan Lal Sobti Chair for the Study of Contemporary India; Director, Center for Advanced Study of India; University of Pennsylvania.

Urban citizens in low-income democracies rarely hold elected officials accountable for toxic air. To understand why, Thachil will discuss a recent paper co-authored by Shikhar Singh.

This event will be recorded. Light refreshments will be served.

More About the Paper

Urban citizens in low-income democracies rarely hold elected officials accountable for toxic air. To understand why, Thachil and Singh fielded a large citizen survey in the highly polluted megacity of Delhi. They find no evidence of conventional explanations for accountability failures: residents are aware of pollution’s adverse impacts, do not privilege development over curbing emissions, and are not fractured along class or ethnic lines on this issue. Instead, survey experiments reveal partisanship and sensitivity to the potential private costs of mitigation policies reduce accountability pressures. On the other hand, a randomized intervention (sharing indoor air quality information) that personalizes the costs of air pollution increases its electoral salience. They reveal key opportunities and constraints for mobilizing public opinion to reduce air pollution in developing democracies.

Office Hours  

In addition to this event, interested Harvard faculty, fellows, and students can sign up for office hours here to meet with Tariq Thachil. Slots are first come, first serve and are available from 1PM – 3PM on March 27th.

About the Global Challenges to Democracy Seminar Series

In the span of a few years, democracy has gone from a likely, if distant, destination for much of the world to a far more tenuous prospect. This seminar series, co-chaired by Professors Yanilda María González and Gautam Nair and hosted by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, delves deep into the various challenges, both internal and external, that stand in the way of building more accountable, responsive, and capable democracy. Leading scholars of politics will provide insights using a wide variety of methods and expertise in countries from across the globe.

Event Details 

Registration is required for this event. Please register using the link above. This event is in-person only and will be recorded. A recording will be posted later to this events page and sent to all registrants. The Ash Center encourages individuals with disabilities to participate in its events. Should you wish to enquire about an accommodation, please contact our events team at info@ash.harvard.edu prior to the event.