Today my guest is M.R. Sharan, an assistant professor in the department of agricultural and resource economics at the University of Maryland College Park. He is the author of numerous papers and the book Last Among Equals: Power, Caste, & Politics in Bihar’s Villages.

His main research interests are development economics and political economy. We talked about his research on local government in India, incentives of various political actors and the power structures they inhibit, fiscal federalism, and much more.  

Recorded May 21st, 2025.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) - Intro

(00:01:07) - Local Political Actors

(00:16:16) - Portability

(00:20:36) - Village Government in India

(00:53:42) - Separation of Powers

(01:03:51) - Inclusion

(01:21:20) - Outro