When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300216202)

The first thorough study of the co-existence of crime and democratic processes in Indian politics

In India, the world's largest democracy, the symbiotic relationship between crime and politics raises complex questions. For instance, how can free and fair democratic processes exist alongside rampant criminality? Why do political parties recruit candidates with reputations for wrongdoing? Why are one-third of state and national legislators elected--and often re-elected--in spite of criminal charges pending against them? In this eye-opening study, political scientist Milan Vaishnav mines a rich array of sources, including fieldwork on political campaigns and interviews with candidates, party workers, and voters, large surveys, and an original database on politicians' backgrounds to offer the first comprehensive study of an issue that has implications for the study of democracy both within and beyond India's borders.

Author: Milan Vaishnav
ISBN-10: 0300216203
ISBN-13: 9780300216202
Publisher: Yale University Press
Language: English
Published: 01/24/2017
Pages: 440
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.75lbs
Size: 9.40h x 6.10w x 1.30d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 06/01/2017