Layers of Subordination: Intersectional Approaches to Affirmative Action in Rural India

Does state intervention in development processes generate structural and social transformation for marginalized groups? This project studies the use of electoral quotas in India's Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) system to understand whether affirmative action policies actually improve development outcomes for Scheduled Caste (SC) groups and women. It adds to the larger quota literature through the use of intersectional lens to analyze the impact of affirmative action on development outcomes. With the use of original survey data from 64 villages of Rajasthan, it shows that state interventions do not have universal effects on caste or gender groups. Specifically, access to public goods like roads and water increase for SC populations when the Sarpanch is also SC. Alternatively, women do not report increased access to `female-oriented' goods under the presences of a female Sarpanch. Additionally, in-depth interview data reveals the different ways elected officials from minority groups use and grow from political access. Importantly, interview data demonstrates that disadvantage is not always cumulative. Ultimately, this dissertation shows that the effect of caste is moderated by gender, just as gender is moderated by caste