Elections and Political Regimes

Abstract

Post-Cold War autocracies appear novel in their use of multiparty elections, attracting the attention of scholars and policymakers alike. A longer historical view, however, reveals that what is unique is not electoral authoritarianism after 1989, but rather the electoral inactivity of autocracies during the Cold War period. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, authoritarian regimes have held multiparty elections. The prevalence of these elections begs the question of whether they have any effects on political liberalization and democratization. But the study of authoritarian elections in processes of political change faces a number of theoretical and empirical challenges that can only partly be surmounted with existing approaches.

Gandhi, Ambedkar and British policy on the communal award

“…Studies in People's History, 5, 1 (2018): [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] Ramsay Macdonald argued that in view of the failure of the communities to frame a constitution acceptable to all 'the Government would have to settle the question of representation for the Indians, as well as, the checks and balances the constitution should contain, to protect the minorities from an unrestricted and tyrannical use of the democratic principle expressing itself through majority power'. Macdonald defended the Government's decision on the ground that 'differences of race and of history, a different system of law, widely opposed social observances, and, absence of intermarriage, set up barriers which have no analogy in the distinctions that may exist between religious denominations in any other existing state'.…”

“…63 Rajmohan Gandhi asks, 'Why in 1949 [Ambedkar] had helped incorporate the pact into the Constitution ... if in fact he had been "coerced" into accepting it in 1932', and why 'even after his 1951 resignation and clash with [Jawaharlal] Nehru and the Congress, Ambedkar did not "try to have the Poona Pact annulled"'. 64 On the critical question of separate versus joint electorates, on which Gandhi's life depended, the Depressed Classes were divided into two groups. This scenario also became clearly visible in no time not only to the leaders of the national movement but also to the British Government.…”

“…Studies in People's History, 5, 1 (2018):[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] …”

“…Studies in People's History, 5, 1 (2018): [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64] In sum, Gandhi's 'fast unto death' against the Communal Award that granted separate electorates to the 'Untouchables' was not 'antagonistic' to their 'interests' and 'political rights'. The demand for separate electorates for the 'Untouchables' was 'manufactured' by the British Government.…”

Introduction: The Future of Democracy

“…Jennifer Gandhi (2015, in this issue) analyses under what conditions elections, even those held under autocratic conditions, can facilitate democratization. She notes how the use of partisan elections in autocratic regimes since the end of the Cold War have become increasingly frequent and of heightened interest to political scientists.…”