Elections and Political Development: The South Asian Experience
This survey of the scene in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka finds general principles hard to discover. Elections may be stabilizing or de-stabilizing, linked to development or decay. The survey data leave us uncertain of the balance between alienation and commitment of the voter. One maxim, however, emerges with some force: elections raise expectations; and raised expectations radicalize.
Sign-up for free weekly updates from ForeignAffairs.com.