Why Ethnic Parties Succeed Patronage and Ethnic Head Counts in India [Hardcover]

Offers a theory on the performance of ethnic political parties as a distinct phenomenon.Why do some ethnic parties succeed in attracting the support of their target ethnic group while others fail? Drawing on a study of variation in the performance of four ethnic parties in India, this book develops a theory of ethnic party performance in patronage democracies --a family of democracies with distinct patterns of political behavior. The book offers an original theory on the performance of ethnic political parties as well as a new interpretation of Indian democracy. Demonstrating the connection between India's state-dominated economy and the behavior of its voters and politician, it includes an extensive study of the Bahujan Samaj Party and contemporary ethnic politics in India.Why do some ethnic parties succeed in attracting the support of their target ethnic group while others fail? Drawing on a study of variation in the performance of four ethnic parties in India, this book develops a theory of ethnic party performance in patronage democracies --a family of democracies with distinct patterns of political behavior. The book offers an original theory on the performance of ethnic political parties as well as a new interpretation of Indian democracy. Demonstrating the connection between India's state-dominated economy and the behavior of its voters and politician, it includes an extensive study of the Bahujan Samaj Party and contemporary ethnic politics in India.Drawing on a study of variation in the performance of four ethnic parties in India, this book develops a theory of ethnic party performance in patronage democracies --a family of democracies with distinct patterns of political behavior as well as a new interpretation of Indian democracy. Demonstrating the connection between India's state-dominated economy and the behavior of its voters and politicians, it includes an extensive study of the Bahujan Samaj Party and contemporary ethnic politics in India.List ol#Î