Patronage vs. ideology in Indian politics

Abstract

How do ethnic, distributive and electoral politics interact in Indian democracy? This essay reviews recent monographs on the politics of the distribution of public and social goods that complicate the popular ethnic voting for patronage provision (EVPP) model. It then explores the disjuncture between micro-behavioural research in distributive politics and an influential account of the role of ideology in the Indian party system. The essay concludes with some thoughts about how ethnicity, distribution and ideology might be integrated in the study of Indian politics.