Democratic Dynasties
State, Party, and Family in Contemporary Indian Politics

Dynastic politics, usually presumed to be the antithesis of democracy, is a routine aspect of politics in many modern democracies. This book introduces a new theoretical perspective on dynasticism in democracies, using original data on twenty-first-century Indian parliaments. It argues that the roots of dynastic politics lie at least in part in modern democratic institutions - states and parties - which give political families a leg-up in the electoral process. It also proposes a rethinking of the view that dynastic politics is a violation of democracy, showing that it can also reinforce some aspects of democracy while violating others. Finally, this book suggests that both reinforcement and violation are the products, not of some property intrinsic to political dynasties, but of the institutional environment from which those dynasties emerge.

Reviews & endorsements

'This book delves into dynasticism in Indian politics, sometimes to surprising effect. In so doing it sets the stage for future work in the area. A valuable addition to the active literature on political dynasties.' Ernesto dal Bó, University of California, Berkeley

Customer reviews

Product details

• Date Published: February 2017
• format: Paperback
• isbn: 9781107558915
• length: 302 pages

• dimensions: 230 x 152 x 15 mm
• weight: 0.45kg
• contains: 27 b/w illus. 43 tables
• availability: Available