Rate My Professor Lakshmi Iyer

Iyer’s publications appear in leading economics journals. Key works include “History, Institutions and Economic Performance: The Legacy of Colonial Land Tenure Systems in India” (American Economic Review, 2005, with Abhijit Banerjee), recipient of the Michael Wallerstein Award for best political economy article; “Direct versus Indirect Colonial Rule in India: Long-term Consequences” (Review of Economics and Statistics, 2010); “The Power of Political Voice: Women’s Political Representation and Crime in India” (American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2012, with Anandi Mani, Prachi Mishra, and Petia Topalova); “Leader Identity and Coordination” (Review of Economics and Statistics, 2023, with Sonia Bhalotra, Irma Clots-Figueras, and Joseph Vecci); and “The Colonial Legacy in India: How Persistent are the Effects of Historical Institutions?” (Journal of Development Economics, 2025, with Coleson Weir). Recent contributions address property rights and women’s agency in Myanmar (Journal of Politics, 2026) and administrative decentralization (Economic Journal, forthcoming). She directs the Building Inclusive Growth Lab, leads the Representation of Women Lab and Innovating Green Pathways to Prosperity, and holds fellowships at IZA and BREAD. Awards include Notre Dame All-Faculty Team (2025), Excellence in MGA Teaching Award (2025), Dean’s Faculty Recognition Award (2019), and Marvin Bower Fellow at Harvard Business School (2011-2013). Iyer teaches undergraduate, master’s, and Ph.D. courses and serves on the editorial board of Ideas for India.