Why Do We Need Election Studies in Political Science Classrooms?

Deshpande, Rajeshwari

doi:10.1177/2321023019874915

Cited by 3 publications

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“…The author argues that the BJP is a Hindu nationalist party that seeks to redefine India's identity and role in the world, while the Congress is a secular party that emphasizes pluralism and diversity. • "Emergence of Regional Parties in Indian Politics: Implications for Congress and BJP" by Rajeshwari Deshpande (2019):…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parties of Power: Understanding the Significance of Congress and BJP in Shaping Indian Democracy

Sheikh,

Majeed

2023

Internationally known as Journal of Government and Politics

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The Congress Party has a long history linked to India’s independence movement and is associated with a secular and socialist ideology. The BJP, founded in 1980, is associated with Hindu nationalism and has become increasingly influential in recent years. The parties have significant differences in policies and agendas, including economic and social issues. Understanding the role of political parties in Indian democracy is essential for gaining a deeper understanding of the country’s political landscape and the challenges it faces. This article compares the Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two major political parties in India, and examines their historical backgrounds, ideologies, and election strategies. The role of political parties in Indian democracy is discussed, along with the challenges faced by both parties in recent elections. The article concludes by highlighting the significance of political parties in Indian democracy and discussing the future prospects of the Congress Party and the BJP.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parties of Power: Understanding the Significance of Congress and BJP in Shaping Indian Democracy

Sheikh,

Majeed

2023

Internationally known as Journal of Government and Politics

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Psephological Advancements and Pitfalls of Political Opinion Polls in India

Rai

2021

Open Political Science

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Political opinion polls in India are holistic snapshots in time that divulge deep dive information on electoral participation, ideological orientation and self-efficacy of the electorate and faith in core democratic values. The popularity of election surveys stems from the political socialization and crystal ball gazing curiosity of the citizens to foresee the outcomes of the hustings before the pronouncement of formal results. The opinion polls provide crucial data on voting behaviour and attitudes, testing theories of electoral politics and domain knowledge production. The obsession of the Indian media with political forecasting has shifted the focus from psephology to electoral prophecy, but it continues to furnish the best telescopic view of elections based on the feedback of the electorate. The ascertainment of subaltern opinion by surveys not only broadens the contours of understanding electoral democracy, but also provides an empirical alternative to elitist viewpoint of competitive politics in India.

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Editorial

‘Nyane

2023

JAE

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Hoolo 'Nyane is an associate professor and head of the Department of Public and Environmental Law, School of Law at the University of Limpopo INTRODUCTORY BACKGROUNDThe study of elections can be mundane as it involves studying a routine political process. Elections are an institutionalised democratic process: they are bound to happen at a particular time, which is designated by law. Since elections are normal democratic processes, the animating question often is: what arouses scholarly curiosity in them? In other words, why should scholars be concerned about routine processes instead of the substance of democracy itself? In any event, people are much more concerned about the substantive dividends of democracy itself, and not much about its processes (Aka 2002). Therefore, studying any particular election demands much circumspection. Care should be taken not to exaggerate the role of elections in the broader democratic project; but, at the same time, the value of elections to the democratic project cannot be discounted. Hence, it is always a tenuous balancing exercise. Although elections often evoke interest and generate fanfare, they are regular political rituals that are often disconnected or do not necessarily contribute to the more significant democratic project. Elections have many deficiencies: they are sometimes used to legitimise authoritarianism; they can be rigged; they can mislead the electorate that they are bringing change; and they have failed to resolve substantive issues related to reforming systemic problems confronting countries, such as economic bottlenecks and constitutional deficiencies. In some instances, elections have been held regularly and successfully in pseudo-democratic countries where repression and violations of civil liberties are entrenched. As Diamond (2002, p. 29) observes, '[i]n regimes where elections are largely an authoritarian façade, the ruling or dominant party wins almost all the seats'.On the other hand, elections tenaciously cling to the bulwarks of any wellmeaning democracy. They have far-reaching ramifications for the substance and sustenance of democracies. Democracies are inconceivable without elections as they are the most democratic means of transferring power from one ruler to another. As Deshpande (2019, p. 261) notes, '[a]lthough they are largely about procedural aspects of democracy, elections signify a lot more of the substantial

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Why Do We Need Election Studies in Political Science Classrooms?

Cited by 3 publications

References 3 publications

Parties of Power: Understanding the Significance of Congress and BJP in Shaping Indian Democracy

Parties of Power: Understanding the Significance of Congress and BJP in Shaping Indian Democracy

Psephological Advancements and Pitfalls of Political Opinion Polls in India

Editorial

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