Do the Effects of Temporary Ethnic Group Quotas Persist? Evidence from India

Abstract

Do electoral quotas for ethnic groups continue to improve their chances of winning elections after quotas are withdrawn? This is an important question since ethnic group quotas are common, and are often intended to be temporary. Using natural experiments, I find that electoral quotas for India's “scheduled castes” (SCs) fail to boost SCs' chances of winning office after they are discontinued. These results contrast with the significant positive effects of past women's quotas found in similar contexts. (JEL D72, J15, J16, O15, O17, Z13)

Political efficacy and the persistence of turnout shocks

“…This paper thus fits into a political economy literature that investigates whether political institutions still affect political outcomes even after they have been withdrawn (e.g.,Bednar et al, 2015;Bhavnani, 2009Bhavnani, , 2017De Paola et al, 2010). 3 First, by definition, more citizens participate in elections with a high turnout.…”

Independent Candidates and Political Representation in India

“…For us, seat reservation is a tool. For research that focuses on reservation as the object of study, see Bhavnani (2017); Jensenius (2015); Iyer et al (2012); Clots-Figueras (2011); Bhavnani (2009); Duflo and Chattopadhyay (2004), and Pande (2003).…”

Inequality in policy implementation: caste and electrification in rural India

“…Solutions to the problem of caste inequality have proven elusive. In India, the most important national policies against caste bias are educational, employment and representation "reservations" (Jaffrelot 2006;Bhavnani 2017), which guarantee both the SC and scheduled tribes (adivasis) a certain percentage of admissions to public institutions of higher learning, government jobs and seats in different political bodies from village councils (gram panchayats) to state legislative assemblies and the national parliament. However, it appears that these reservations have not effected a social revolution: the evidence on the socio-economic effects of reservations suggests that they are weak (Jensenius 2015), though they have contributed to policy changes and political mobilisation (Pande 2003;Jaffrelot 2006).…”