Shikha Dalmia

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Shikha Dalmia
Shikha Dalmia
Personal Information
Status Active Political Alignment Classical liberal Education University of Delhi Louisiana State University Occupation Journalist, political commentator, editor Country of Origin India / United States
Online Information
Website https://www.theunpopulist.net/ X shikhadalmia
DGG Links

Shikha Dalmia is an Indian-American journalist and political commentator. She is the president of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism (ISMA) and the founder and editor-in-chief of The UnPopulist. Much of her writing covers immigration policy, liberal democracy, and the global spread of populist and authoritarian movements.

Background

Dalmia grew up in New Delhi, India, where she earned a B.S. from the University of Delhi and began her career as a reporter. She later completed an M.A. in mass communication at Louisiana State University .

Dalmia spent much of her career in the libertarian movement, serving as a senior analyst at the Reason Foundation and writing for outlets including The Washington Post , The Week , and Reason . In 2009, she won the inaugural Bastiat Prize for Online Journalism. She later became a visiting fellow at the Mercatus Center , studying populist authoritarianism. In 2021, she launched The UnPopulist and now leads ISMA, through which she convenes LibCon.

On-Stream Appearances

06-18-2026 The Conservative Mind Is Broken

On June 18, 2026, Dalmia joined Destiny's stream for a discussion about the state of American conservatism , the rise of populist authoritarianism, and her work at The UnPopulist.