The Reciprocity Trap

Weak Parties, Elite Networks, and the Marginalization of the Poor in India
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-68216-9
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 220 Seiten

Reihe: Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics

While ethnic voting is usually linked with stable voting patterns, Indian elections are notoriously fragmented and difficult to predict. The Reciprocity Trap argues that the instability of Indian elections can largely be attributed to the weakness and mobilizational strategy of political parties, which leads to the under-mobilization of the poor. Using an impressive array of data, ranging from geo-coded polling station data to elite interviews, Pradeep Chhibber and Francesca Jensenius show how the poor are more likely to shift their allegiance between elections, to “waste” their vote on unviable contenders, and less likely to participate in all forms of political activities. This groundbreaking work reintegrates class and economic status into the study of South Asian politics, which has long been dominated by discussions of identity politics, showing that while identity groups may provide a stable source of support for parties, the volatile choices of the under-mobilized poor ultimately determine who wins elections. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Jensenius, Francesca R.

Chhibber, Pradeep K.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. A party system that fails the poor; 2. The under-mobilization of the poor; 3. India's competitive elections; 4. Villages are not strongholds; 5. Volatile voters; 6. Wasted votes; 7. No opinion; 8. Unequal political participation; 9. Giving to the network; 10. Democracy's reach.

Über Autor(innen)

Jensenius, Francesca R.
Francesca R. Jensenius is Professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo. She specializes in comparative politics, comparative political economy, gender and politics, and research methods, with a regional focus on South Asia. She has received several awards for her data-collection efforts and research.

Chhibber, Pradeep K.
Pradeep K. Chhibber is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at the University of California at Berkeley, where he serves as the Indo-American Community Chair in India Studies. He has authored or co-authored multiple award-winning books and articles on Indian politics, party politics, populism, and democratic institutions.