Caste, Class, and Capital

Abstract

For millions of poor people in the developing world, economic growth offers prospects for improved well-being. But what are the political and social conditions conducive to growth-oriented policies in poor democracies? This book addresses this highly consequential question by focusing on a specific empirical puzzlepolicy variation across Indian states in the competition for private industrial investment, a phenomenon that came to the fore after the country adopted market reforms in 1991. Through the analysis of investment policies, this book offers a novel explanation, which links social identity, class, and economic policy outcomes. Its main findings highlight a link between pro-business policies and exclusionary political trends in India's high growth phase, and offer a sobering perspective on the current model of growth in the country. It adds to our understanding of Indian political economy as well as to the dynamics of economic development in poor democracies.

The Politics of Dignity: How Status Inequality shaped Redistributive Politics in India

“…Findings from this study push back against influential works that have been pessimistic about the redistributive potential of OBC politics (Kohli 2012;Jaffrelot 2003;Mehta 2003;Murali 2017;Witsoe 2013). Towards this end, this study emphasizes the need for further research on the impact of backward castes on development.…”

“…The policy preference of upper caste representatives corresponds to our understanding of the economic elite (Acemoglu and Robinson 2006;Boix 2003;Esping-Andersen 1990;Rueschemeyer, Huber, and Stephens 1992). Research on India also finds that business-friendly policies have been most successful in states that are led by wealthy upper caste groups (Murali 2017). More than just alignment of interests, bias against lower castes can hinder redistribution.…”

“…While empirical research on backward caste representation and development is limited, scholars have been skeptical about the redistributive potential of OBC politics (Kohli 2012;Jaffrelot 2003;Mehta 2003;Murali 2017;Witsoe 2013). Governments led by backward caste parties in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have been described as neo-patrimonial -states that pursue entrenched personal interests at the expense of public goods (Kohli 2012).…”

The Theoretical Potential of the Within-Nation Comparison: How Sub-National Analyses Can Enrich Our Understandings of the National Welfare State

“…Yet, to some extent following Snyder (2001) himself, 11 there has been an emphasis on the methodological advantages of sub-national comparative analyses (Arce, 2014; Boehmke & Branton, 2014; Ingram, 2016; Murali, 2017). When studies have sought to explore how sub-national comparisons can contribute to theory building, they have done so following one of three main trajectories.…”

Caste Politics in Bihar: In Historical Continuum

“…Since 2005, Nitish Kumar has represented a 'wide-poor coalition [of] Dalits and upper castes', with the 2015 Bihar Assembly Elections showing that 'themes of identity remain central to mobilisation efforts of political parties'. 104 Indeed, … it is said that the class and caste neutral economic policies of Nitish Kumar have broad sub-national support, and have triggered the formation of a 'Bihari' identity for the first time, especially after the implementation of positive discrimination for women, lower backwards, and the Dalits in the Panchayati Raj Institutions and [he] essentially represents the agglomeration of non-powerful social categories (Ati Picchra which also includes most of the Arzal and Ajlaf communities of Muslims, and Maha Dalits).…”