Elections, Polls and Policy in South Asia – Dr Patrick Clibbens
This course will explore the politics of South Asia since Independence through a focus on elections. It approaches this issue through vibrant and ongoing debates in the fields of contemporary history, anthropology, political science and political theory. We will discuss the establishment of electoral democracy in South Asia and the changing nature of South Asian elections and electoral campaigning. The course will explore the debates about the meaning of the vote, and about the relationship between public policy, electioneering and electoral success in South Asia’s diverse democracies.
India was one of the first countries of the global South to undertake opinion polls and polls are ubiquitous in Indian media today. This course will also investigate concepts of ‘the public’ in South Asia and the institutional production of ‘public opinion’, with the aim of understanding how these ideas have shaped South Asia’s complex political landscape. Alongside the secondary readings listed below, we will discuss a selection of short primary texts together in each class.