Spring 2005

GOV 365L • Political Parties and Elections in India - W

Course Description

Course contains a substantial writing component and fulfills part of the basic education requirement in writing. Course number may be repeated for credit when topics vary. Elections are central to the success of India's democracy and political parties are at the core of the electoral process. India's parties have changed character and comparative strength in its post-independence history. They can be analyzed not just in terms of the national party system but also as a set of very different state-level systems. This course will use the framework of electoral change to examine the grand shift of India's political party system from a national one with state ramifications to a a national one dependent on state systems. Electoral change also rests on a profound transformation of India's society and economy, one that centers on the emergence into arenas of power of the previously marginalized and powerless women and people of the lower castes; the course will consider that linkage as well. The general political science literature on party systems and elections will be used to frame questions and evaluate the analysis of the Indian situation.

Grading Policy

Short examinations on the reading (40% ) Research paper (60% , including points for on-time submission of topic and preliminary bibliography)

Texts

The bulk of the readings will be posted as e-reserves (scholarly articles, chapters of books)

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