Teevrat Garg

Can Competition Reduce Conflict?

Teevrat Garg, in a joint study (CESifo Working Paper No. 10568) with C. Gennaioli, S. Lovo and G. Singer, examines the effect of inter-group fiscal competition on within-group violent conflict. Using a triple difference design, the researchers exploit exogenous variation in the degree to which villages in sub-districts compete for public funds. They find that higher competition between villages reduces conflict but only up to moderate levels of competition. The conflict-reducing effects of competition are largest in the most ethnically fractionalized and segregated villages and exist regardless of the eventual outcome of the competition. Their results are consistent with external competition favoring coordination within otherwise divided communities and boosting village identity relative to ethnic identity.

Mr. Garg’s research focuses on environmental policy and energy transitions in low- and middle-income countries. His current portfolio of research involves working directly with regional governments and utilities in understanding climate adaptation and decarbonization. His policy engagements include serving as an Academic Advisor to the Green Growth Initiative at the International Growth Center and serving as a Technical Contributor to the 5th National Climate Assessment. His research has been published in American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Economic Journal, JAERE, JEEM, Nature Communications among other journals. He served as a mentor in the inaugural mentorship programs of AERE, the Association for Inclusion and Mentoring in Economics (AIME) and the AEA’s Committee on the Status of the LGBTQIA++ Individuals in the Economics Profession (CSQIEP).

Teevrat Garg is an Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. Prior to joining UC San Diego, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He received a BA in Economics and a BS in Mathematics from Lafayette College, and a PhD. in Applied Economics and Management from Cornell University. He currently serves as a co-editor for the Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (JAERE) and an associate editor for the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (AJAE). Mr. Garg is a CESifo Research Network Affiliate as well as an IZA Research Affiliate.