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082			_a338.954 _bRUD
100			_aRudolph, Lloyd I.
245			_aIn pursuit of Lakshmi : the political economy of the Indian state
260			_bUniversity of Chicago Press, _c1987 _aChicago:
300			_axvii,529p. : _bill. ; _c24 cm.
365			_aUSD _b55.00
504			_aIncludes indexes
520			_aThe pursuit of Lakshmi, the fickle goddess of prosperity and good fortune, is a metaphor for the aspirations of the state and people of independent India. In the latest of their distinguished contributions to South Asian studies, scholars Lloyd I. Rudolph and Susanne Hoeber Rudolph focus on this modern-day pursuit by offering a comprehensive analysis of India’s political economy. India occupies a paradoxical plane among nation-states: it is both developed and underdeveloped, rich and poor, strong and weak. These contrasts locate India in the international order. The Rudolphs’ theory of demand and command polities provides a general framework for explaining the special circumstances of the Indian experience. Contrary to what one might expect in a country with great disparities of wealth, no national party, right or left, pursues the politics of class. Instead, the Rudolphs argue, private capital and organized labor in India face a "third actor"—the state. Because of the dominance of the state makes class politics marginal, the state is itself an element in the creation of the centrist-oriented social pluralism that has characterized Indian politics since independence. In analyzing the relationship between India’s politics and its economy, the Rudolphs maintain that India’s economic performance has been only marginally affected by the type of regime in power—authoritarian or democratic. More important, they show that rising levels of social mobilization and personalistic rule have contributed to declining state capacity and autonomy. At the same time, social mobilization has led to a more equitable distribution of economic benefits and political power, which has enhanced the state’s legitimacy among its citizens. The scope and explanatory power of In Pursuit of Lakshmi will make it essential for all those interested in political economy, comparative politics, Asian studies, and India.
650			_aEconomic conditions of India
650			_aIndia politics and government
650			_aIndia economic policy
650			_aEconomic development
650			_aEconomic history
650			_aPolitical aspects
942			_2ddc _cBK