When Favoritism Fails: The Politics of Cross-ethnic Voting among Muslims in India

Devasher, Madhavi

doi:10.1080/17449057.2019.1594558

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Drawing on research in India and Kenya, we apply our typology and show that ethnic parties' cross-ethnic appeals are central to their mobilization strategies and electoral success. As some scholars have noted, ethnic parties do not transform into multiethnic or nonethnic ones in the process (Devasher, 2019;Elischer 2008), nor do we expect that the salience of ethnic identity will decline as a result of such appeals. However, we show that when credible, parties' cross-ethnic appeals can succeed in obtaining noncore voter support, which can in turn result in substantive gains for minority groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…8 Representation is a credible signal because the distribution of positions on a party list happens before an election, so a commitment is demonstrably made. Muslims are more likely to support the BSP when it nominates Muslim candidates (Devasher, 2019;Heath, Verniers, & Kumar, 2015).…”

Section: T a B L E 1 A Typology Of Cross-ethnic Appeals In Plural Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In sum, cross-ethnic appeals have important implications for minorities' substantive representation in plural societies in ways existing research does not anticipate. In India, the BSP's desire for non-coethnic votes has resulted both in the increased representation of Muslims and other groups in the state legislature as well as some advocacy for their policy interests (Devasher, 2019;Guha, 2013). In Kenya, ethnic groups other than those of the main presidential contenders and their running mates have seen substantive gains in both material resources and substantive representation as a result of direct cross-ethnic outreach.…”

Section: T a B L E 1 A Typology Of Cross-ethnic Appeals In Plural Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet, a growing number of studies have cast doubt on the ubiquity of ethnic block voting, even in deeply divided societies (Devasher, 2019;Ichino & Nathan, 2013;Reilly, 2020). Scholars have recognized that ethnic parties often do need to build cross-ethnic links and reach out beyond their established ethnic bases in order to win elections in ethnically diverse states.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cross‐ethnic appeals in plural democracies

Devasher

Gadjanova

2021

Nations and Nationalism

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Whether and how parties reach across ethnic lines matters for the quality of democracy, the state of interethnic relations and substantive minority representation in plural societies. Existing explanations have focused on how politicians facing electoral incentives to seek broader support attempt to either redefine or transcend ethnic identities, but have overlooked the various ways, in which candidates from one ethnic community often directly address the ethno-political interests, concerns and demands of other communities whose votes are being courted. To address this gap, we introduce the concept and develop a typology of crossethnic appeals in plural democracies. Drawing on primary research in India and Kenya-two countries with salient ethnic divisions and ethnic party systems-we show that cross-ethnic appeals are common, follow the logic of our typology, and can result in increased resources and representation for some electorally pivotal minorities, even going beyond what coethnic politicians have offered. The article contributes to the emerging academic literature on how parties foster cross-ethnic linkages in plural societies.Our argument has implications for ethnic boundaries, the structure of political cleavages and the substantive representation of minorities in multiethnic states.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Section: T a B L E 1 A Typology Of Cross-ethnic Appeals In Plural Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: T a B L E 1 A Typology Of Cross-ethnic Appeals In Plural Societiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cross‐ethnic appeals in plural democracies

Devasher

Gadjanova

2021

Nations and Nationalism

Self Cite

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“…Moreover, it was common for candidates to visit, get endorsed by, and appeal to ethnic groups they did not belong to' (Fox 2018(Fox : 1202. Cross-ethnic voting has also been a mainstay of Indian elections, due to the historical dominance of the Congress Party as well as explicit strategies by smaller parties to build ties with non-core voters (Devasher 2019). In Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana, 'since the return to multiparty politics across the region in the early 1990s, not only have incumbents sought re-election with the support of politicians from multiple groups, but cross-ethnic endorsements among opposition politicians have also occurred in over one-third of national elections; half of those alliances have resulted in executive alternation' (Arriola et al 2017).…”

Section: Cross-ethnic Votingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-Ethnic Voting: An Index of Centripetal Electoral Systems

Reilly

2020

Gov. & oppos.

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Centripetal approaches to democracy in divided societies seek to promote inter-ethnic accommodation and moderation by making politicians dependent on the electoral support of groups other than their own base. Such cross-ethnic voting stands in contrast to situations where politicians need only the support of their own co-ethnics to win elections. This distinction can be used to evaluate the utility of centripetal electoral systems in promoting voting across ethnic divides. To do so, this article begins by considering some critiques of centripetalism, showing that cross-ethnic voting is more common in both institutional design and actual practice than some critics believe. It then moves on to examine cases of cross-ethnic voting via ethnically designated party lists, cross-regional party formation rules, at-large communal or sectoral seat reservations, and uni-directional vote-pooling, using these cases to construct an index of strong, moderate and weak centripetal electoral systems.

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Rethinking the Study of Electoral Politics in the Developing World: Reflections on the Indian Case

Auerbach¹,

Bussell²,

Chauchard³

et al. 2021

Perspect. polit.

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In the study of electoral politics and political behavior in the developing world, India is often considered to be an exemplar of the centrality of contingency in distributive politics, the role of ethnicity in shaping political behavior, and the organizational weakness of political parties. Whereas these axioms have some empirical basis, the massive changes in political practices, the vast variation in political patterns, and the burgeoning literature on subnational dynamics in India mean that such generalizations are not tenable. In this article, we consider research on India that compels us to rethink the contention that India neatly fits the prevailing wisdom in the comparative politics literature. Our objective is to elucidate how the many nuanced insights about Indian politics can improve our understanding of electoral behavior both across and within other countries, allowing us to question core assumptions in theories of comparative politics.

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When Favoritism Fails: The Politics of Cross-ethnic Voting among Muslims in India

Cited by 4 publications

References 30 publications

Cross‐ethnic appeals in plural democracies

Cross‐ethnic appeals in plural democracies

Cross-Ethnic Voting: An Index of Centripetal Electoral Systems

Rethinking the Study of Electoral Politics in the Developing World: Reflections on the Indian Case

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