Democracy without Associations

India’s party system has undergone a profound transformation over the last decade. The Congress Party, a catchall party that brought independence in 1947 and governed India for much of the period since then, no longer dominates the electoral scene. Political parties that draw support from particular castes and religious groups are now more powerful than ever before. Democracy without Associations explains why religious and caste-based political parties have come to dominate the electoral landscape in the 1990s and why catchall parties have declined. This compelling and topical book will interest scholars and students of Indian politics and party systems, as well as those interested in the impact of social cleavage on politics.