• Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
Carnegie Global logoCarnegie lettermark logo
Democracy
  • Donate
{
  "authors": [
    "Milan Vaishnav",
    "Rachel Osnos"
  ],
  "type": "legacyinthemedia",
  "centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
  "centers": [
    "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace"
  ],
  "collections": [],
  "englishNewsletterAll": "",
  "nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
  "primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
  "programAffiliation": "SAP",
  "programs": [
    "South Asia"
  ],
  "projects": [],
  "regions": [
    "South Asia",
    "India"
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Technology"
  ]
}

Source: Getty

In The Media

Digital India? An Email Experiment with Indian Legislators

Burgeoning literature uses digital tools such as email to experimentally evaluate the responsiveness of political elites to requests for constituency service.

Link Copied
By Milan Vaishnav and Rachel Osnos
Published on Jul 8, 2019
Program mobile hero image

Program

South Asia

The South Asia Program informs policy debates relating to the region’s security, economy, and political development. From strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific to India’s internal dynamics and U.S. engagement with the region, the program offers in-depth, rigorous research and analysis on South Asia’s most critical challenges.

Learn More

Source: India Review

Of the many tasks elected representatives perform, constituency service is among the most difficult to observe and, therefore, to measure. However, a burgeoning literature uses digital tools such as email to experimentally evaluate the responsiveness of political elites to requests for constituency service. To date, this literature has overwhelmingly focused on the developed world. In this article, we describe the results of an email experiment in which we sent plausible, but fictitious constituency service requests to national legislators in India to evaluate their responsiveness, helpfulness, and possibly discriminatory behavior. While the overall response rate to our request is quite poor, those that do respond tend to offer “meaningful” responses. We find scant evidence of legislators discriminating on religious lines.

Read the Full Article

This article was originally published by the India Review.

Authors

Milan Vaishnav
Director and Senior Fellow, South Asia Program
Milan Vaishnav
Rachel Osnos
Former Program Coordinator, South Asia Program
TechnologySouth AsiaIndia

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

  • Abstract of global AI
    Article
    South-South AI Collaboration: Advancing Practical Pathways

    The India AI Impact Summit offers a timely opportunity to experiment with and formalize new models of cooperation.

      Lakshmee Sharma, Jane Munga

  • Escalation Dynamics Under the Nuclear Shadow—India’s Approach
    Paper
    Escalation Dynamics Under the Nuclear Shadow—India’s Approach

    An exploration into how India and Pakistan have perceived each other’s manipulations, or lack thereof, of their nuclear arsenals.

      • Rakesh Sood

      Rakesh Sood

  • Hochel stading behind a dais, with a hand raised
    Commentary
    Emissary
    With the RAISE Act, New York Aligns With California on Frontier AI Laws

    The bills differ in minor but meaningful ways, but their overwhelming convergence is key.

      Alasdair Phillips-Robins, Scott Singer

  • Wide shot of Trump and Modi, with Trump pointing
    Commentary
    Emissary
    The Trump-Modi Trade Deal Won’t Magically Restore U.S.-India Trust

    Washington and New Delhi should be proud of their putative deal. But international politics isn’t the domain of unicorns and leprechauns, and collateral damage can’t simply be wished away.

      Evan A. Feigenbaum

  • Research
    International AI Safety Report 2026

    The second International AI Safety Report is the next iteration of the comprehensive review of latest scientific research on the capabilities and risks of general-purpose AI systems. It represents the largest global collaboration on AI safety to date.

      Scott Singer, Jane Munga

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Carnegie global logo, stacked
1779 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC, 20036-2103Phone: 202 483 7600Fax: 202 483 1840
  • Research
  • Emissary
  • About
  • Experts
  • Donate
  • Programs
  • Events
  • Blogs
  • Podcasts
  • Contact
  • Annual Reports
  • Careers
  • Privacy
  • For Media
  • Government Resources
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.