Lydia Assouad

Associate and Assistant Professor of International Development

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Political Science and Political Economy
Development

Latest

IFS/STICERD/UCL Development Work in Progress Seminar

Misperceptions of Group Inequality and Support for Redistribution and Sectarian Politics: Experimental Evidence from Lebanon

04 December 2025

Lydia Assouad (LSE)

Economic inequality in Lebanon is among the highest in the world, yet political cleavages remain overwhelmingly sectarian rather than class-based. We propose a demand-side explanation: citizens misperceive the extent of ... Read more...

Political Economy Research Seminar

Misperceptions About Out-Groups’ Economic Status and Support for Redistribution: Experimental Evidence from Lebanon

18 November 2025

Lydia Assouad (LSE)

In divided societies, high income inequality rarely produces class-based political coalitions. We test whether misperceptions about out-groups’ economic conditions help explain such limited support for redistributive and... Read more...

IFS/STICERD/UCL Development Work in Progress Seminar

TBC

01 June 2023

Lydia Assouad (LSE)

IFS/STICERD/UCL Development Work in Progress Seminar

Charismatic Leaders and Nation-Building

12 May 2022

Lydia Assouad (LSE)

This paper investigates the role of individual leaders in constructing a national identity. I study the activities and legacy of Mustafa Kemal “Atatürk”, the founder of modern Turkey. I create a novel historical database... Read more...