The Patriarchal Political Order

'Women across much of the world increasingly turn out to vote at rates equaling men. Yet beneath this rosy headline lurks a darker reality: gender gaps in political participation remain pronounced between the vote. Prillaman skillfully unpacks this fascinating puzzle using an impressive array of multi-method evidence from India to show how men maintain patriarchal political orders. Just as skillfully, she also unearths how women can form solidary ties to combat their political exclusion. A deeply impressive, and in many respects pioneering, book that should be read by anyone interested in political behavior, collective action, gender and politics, and the politics of contemporary rural India.' Tariq Thachil, Professor of Political Science, Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania 'Soledad Prillaman explores a surprising outcome: programs designed to bring women together to increase credit have the additional benefit of increasing women's networks and political participation substantially, arguably with greater ground-level effects than for some more targeted inclusion programs. She expertly shows how and why this matters, for women in India, and for more inclusive political and development outcomes around the world.' Steven Wilkinson, Nilekani Professor of India and South Asian Studies, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, Yale University