The Democracy Barometers (Part II): Surveying South Asia

Abstract

Most South Asians believe that democracy is suitable for their country and prefer democracy over authoritarianism. While support for the institutional form of democracy is determined by access to education, media exposure, the experience of living under democratic conditions, support for the idea of democracy cuts across social barriers. The more active one is in politics, the more likely one is to support democracy; and the higher the degree of one’s participation from being a one-time voter to a regular voter to a participant in nonelectoral political activity and finally to being a member of political organization’s the higher is likely to be one’s support for democratic governance.

The BJP’s Welfare Schemes: Did They Make a Difference in the 2019 Elections?

“…For the BJP, it is not politically prudent to do away with state-provisioning of welfare, and it has had to find some space in an already crowded market. From two rounds of the State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) (De Souza, Palshikar, & Yadav, 2008; Shastri et al, 2017), we know that most people not only in India but across South Asia associate welfare and justice as integral dimensions of democracy. Nearly everyone regardless of education and class linked democracy with some ‘substantial outcome in terms of equality and welfare’.…”

Democracy in South Asia: An Expanding ‘Imagination’

“…In its first survey conducted in 2003 (published in 2008), the SDSA study led to ‘a two-way question: it is exciting enough to ask what democracy has done to South Asia; it is even more rewarding to engage with what South Asia has done to democracy’ (SDSA; de Souza et al, 2008, p. 3). The ‘democracy funnel’ is indicative of both what democracy has done to South Asia and what South Asia has done to democracy.…”

“…5.Lokniti-CSDS conducted the first round of the comparative assessment of the State of Democracy in South Asia (SDSA) in 2004–2005 and published the report in 2008 (SDSA; de Souza et al, 2008). The second round of the study was undertaken in 2013 and the report was published in 2017 (SDSA II; Shastri, 2017).…”