Sumitra
Badrinathan

Assistant Professor of Political Science · American University

I study why people believe misinformation, and what it takes to counter it.

I am an Assistant Professor of Political Science at American University’s School of International Service. My research examines misinformation, media, and politics, with a regional focus on South Asia. My work spans three substantive areas. (1) Countering misinformation: How can we make citizens more resilient to falsehoods? (2) Accountability for misinformation: How do we hold elites responsible for spreading false information? (3) Impacts of misinformation: What are the political and societal consequences of misinformation on violence, prejudice, and quality of democracy?

Methodologically, I rely on field experiments, original surveys, and primary data collection. I often collaborate with civil society organizations and government institutions to design projects that evaluate policy impacts and produce actionable evidence.

With Devesh Kapur and Milan Vaishnav, I also co-direct the Indian American Attitudes Survey, the largest ongoing study of the political and social lives of Indian Americans. My work appears in journals including the American Political Science Review (x3) and British Journal of Political Science, and has been covered by the New York Times, BBC, and The Washington Post.

I hold an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Psychology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking in U.S. national parks, going to indie/alternative rock gigs, and cheering (mostly suffering) alongside Philadelphia sports fans.