Bardia Rahmani

Welcome! 

I am an Academy Scholar at the Academy for International and Area Studies at Harvard University. I received my Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University in 2025.

My research lies at the intersection of political communication and authoritarian politics. One strand of my work investigates how state propaganda shapes support for autocratic governments both domestically and internationally. The other explores whether independent media can challenge authoritarian rule and promote equitable political participation. I study these topics using large-scale field experiments, survey experiments, and meta-analyses. My research has been published in The Journal of Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Behavioural Public Policy, and The Journal of Democracy.

As an Invited Researcher at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (JPAL), I have conducted numerous randomized evaluations of media-based development interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa. I have received support from JPAL, Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), the U.S. Department of State’s Title VIII Program, and Columbia University's Unique Data Grant. I was awarded the William T.R. Fox Fellowship in Political Science (2021) and the Andreas C. Dracopoulos Family Fellowship (2022). 

Prior to academia, I worked as an investigative journalist covering the politics of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Timor-Leste. These experiences inform both my substantive interest in media and accountability and my commitment to ensuring research is relevant and accessible to broad audiences.