iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

We re-estimate the environmental Kuznets curve and its democratic variant (the DEKC) using satellite data on forest cover, PM2.5, and groundwater. We find little support for either. At best there is a weakly positive, linear association between democracy and the environment.

110 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

I'm looking to hire an RA in Lahore for a project with @yasirkhan.bsky.social and Bakhtawar Ali. Please see details below.

000 0

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

Just posted a new review paper I co-authored with @kathrynbaragwanath.bsky.social. It is prepared for the Annual Review of Political Science. Comments welcome! www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ixtd6...

0204 20

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

Just read @adambonica.bsky.social 's latest deep dive into the Democratic Party's campaign finance spamming. Wow! data4democracy.substack.com/p/the-mother...

063 6

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

on.ft.com/4ffKLOH How BYD caught up with Tesla in the global EV race

001 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Here's a link to our paper that is discussed in the blog: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/addkl...

000 0

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Our headline finding is that the boost in political representation for the ST increased forest cover and decreased the rate of deforestation in areas with median ex-ante forest cover (the figure plots the effects in VCF data by all declines of ex-ante cover)

110 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

Descriptively, we plot forest variables in two sattelite datasets. VCF shows that average tree canopy in our sample has been weakly increasing over the entire span of the VCF dataset. GFC shows substantial deforestation between 2000 and 2015.

120 2

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

We study these questions in the context of India, where Scheduled Tribes (>100million), most of whom live in Scheduled Areas in India, have livelihoods closely connected with forests.

110 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Students of bureaucracy and government rarely consider how a bureaucrat's ethical framework shapes their work. At best these are shrouded in notions of "intrinsic motivation". This new article unpacks bureaucrats' ethical labor: journal.culanth.org/index.php/ca...

0102 10

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

In the final part, we use a meteorological model to isolate the effect of crop burning (from other air pollution factors) on child and infant mortality. A 1-log point increase in pollution exposure from crop burning causes an additional 24 out of 1000 infants to die in their first year of life.

100 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

Effects increase monotonically as one approaches jurisdiction borders in both directions: when wind brings pollution to the home district, crop burning decreases; when wind takes pollution out, it increases. This shows incentives determine both bureaucratic action and inaction.

100 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

We show that when wind changes direction, such that the *same* location that was a source of pollution for a neighboring bureaucrat now becomes a source of pollution for a bureaucrats' home district, crop burning decreases by ~15%.

100 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

We study crop burning which accounts for 40-60% of pollution during winter months. Farmers across the northern subcontinent burn the stubble left over after the winter rice harvest as it is much cheaper than alternatives.

100 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 04/11/2024

🚨Just published in @natureportfolio.bsky.social with @gemmadipoppa.bsky.social🚨 We argue that reducing crop burning in South Asia, responsible for toxic air for 100s of millns, is not completely intractable. We show bureaucrats exert control when incentivized, w large consequences for pub health

11811 18

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 22/10/2024

Maira Hayat, Shan Aman-Rana and I are looking to hire an RA in 🇵🇰 to help digitize/analyze data on agri taxes. The project relates to political economy, public policy, and environmental social sciences. Strong quantitative skills are required. See ad below for details.

012 2

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 07/08/2024

The party randomized recruitment messages to 1% of a 13-million-person electorate to join its ranks during its routine volunteer recruitment in the state.

100 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 07/08/2024

🚨 Just published in American Political Science Review 🚨 with Durgesh Pathak @sarahthompson.bsky.social and Aliz Toth We show that strategic messaging by party leaders can effectively shape volunteer rank&file recruitment with consequences for long-term party development

152 5

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 19/03/2024

Result 3: 2+ years later, the policies these people picked (budgetary spending) aligned significantly more with citizens' preferences (fig shows gap in policy & prefs). We show that people were more likely to assume positions of influence in councils and become project proposers

110 1

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 19/03/2024

Gallup Pakistan shared data with us from a nationally representative survey they conducted in Pakistan. Most people agree that politics in the status quo is about personal gain. World Values Survey similarly reports low trust in parliaments and pol parties around the world.

120 2

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 08/11/2023

Just released an updated draft of a paper on crop burning and air pollution in South Asia with @gemmadipoppa.bsky.social . Comments welcome! osf.io/nyhz4

0152 15

Saad Gulzar سعد گلزار @saadgulzar.bsky.social · 21/09/2023

I'm presenting at the South Asia Seminar at Brown University on Friday from 2-4pm at Joukowsky Forum on the first floor of Watson Institute. Drop by if interested!

060 6