The Logic of Authoritarian Reaction to Natural Disasters

PI: Bann-Seng Tan, Assistant Professor, Ashoka University

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Abstract: As the world becomes more authoritarian, we want to understand the nature of authoritarian resilience even if the normative goal is to break autocracies. I study the political imperatives of political regimes, especially democracy and autocracy, as manifested in different policy domains. In international conflict behaviour, one such reflection is the democratic peace or the idea democracies do not wage war against each other. 

My current project studies the reaction of autocratic recipients toward offer of foreign aid relief in the aftermath of natural disasters. While natural disasters occur randomly, the reactions of states in their aftermath are distinctively political. I articulate a theory governing such political reactions. I argue authoritarian recipients choose their reaction toward foreign relief strategically. They may facilitate, obstruct or divert foreign relief. Their choice depends on the political relevance of the disaster victims and the need of the regime for performance legitimacy. 

To test the theory, I am building an original dataset containing data on natural disasters, foreign aid, and regime characteristics. It is currently missing data on the policy responses of authoritarian regimes to natural disasters and towards foreign relief. A primary outcome of this project, therefore, is to collect, code and enter data on policy responses of states into a machine-readable format. This in turn facilitates subsequent statistical analysis. 

This project helps donors anticipate the reactions of aid recipients and in doing so allow them to allocate humanitarian aid where they can do the most good. 

Policy Feedback in a Predominantly Hispanic Community in the US: How Government Food Assistance Affects Resources and Political Participation

PI: Gregory Schober, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at El Paso

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Abstract: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—formerly called Food Stamps—provides food benefits to people in need in the United States. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more people applied for and received SNAP benefits. An important question is whether SNAP encourages people to participate in politics. Does SNAP increase voting and other forms of political activity among recipients? Past research finds that some government programs increase political participation, but it is unclear if government programs boost political participation in Hispanic communities. I argue that SNAP increases the health of recipients, which in turn allows them to participate more in political activities. To analyze this argument, I am starting a new representative survey of adults in El Paso, Texas. Round 1 of the survey is being conducted in April/May 2022, and Round 2 will be implemented in April/May 2023. The project will improve our understanding of how policy affects political participation in a predominantly Hispanic community, and it will also help local government and nonprofit leaders identify urgent community needs. 

Coming Out to Vote: The Political Construction of Sexuality Discriminatio

PI: Andrew Proctor, Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University

Grant Amount: $2,500

Project Abstract: This research examines how interactions between activists and political parties shapes the ways in which LGBT people think about themselves as part of a “collective us.” In particular, the book traces the formation and development of liberation, civil rights, and civil libertarian collective identities as competing frameworks used to construct a relationship between LGBT marginalization, partisanship, and the state. The project draws on theories of intersectionality and constitutive representation to demonstrate how the intersecting politics of sexuality, gender, and race within American political parties shapes collective identity and group formation. Using archival materials, I identify whether and how political parties represent collective identities when they interact with LGBT activists. In addition, I measure the prevalence of each collective identity among LGBT people at the mass-level. In the survey data, I examine the socio-demographic and political factors that predict whether someone is likely to identify with a liberation, civil rights, or civil libertarian collective identity. I then examine collective identities as predictors of attitudes about political parties, social movements, and public policies.