Why Regional Parties?

Advance praise: 'Ziegfeld's book innovates both in research on party systems in general and Indian democracy in particular. He provides a novel elite-centered explanation for the rise of 'regional' parties that do not cover the whole of a country's electoral districts, even though they are not grounded in demand-side 'regionalist' ethno-cultural or political identities. Furthermore, he explains why regional parties are more likely to emphasize clientelist relations with their voters. Finally, he applies this theory to India to account for the presence and expansion of regional political parties to the detriment of national parties with the advent of national coalition governments. Students of political parties across all regions of the world will benefit from absorbing this exemplary investigation just as much as those aspiring to understand the challenges faced by India as the world's largest democracy in the twenty-first century.' Herbert Kitschelt, Duke University, North Carolina Advance praise: 'Why do regional parties emerge and thrive in certain countries but not others? How does their rise affect levels of democratic representation and accountability within developing democracies? In this fascinating and valuable study, Ziegfeld argues that regional parties do not emerge because disappointed voters demand alternatives to poorly performing national parties. Instead, regional parties are deliberately crafted by political elites because of advantages such formations enjoy within decentralized, clientelistic, and fragmented electoral arenas across the developing world. Ziegfeld's argument is primarily based on meticulous research from India, from which he skillfully derives broader insights for understanding this important, yet understudied, class of political parties. The book thus deserves attention from scholars broadly interested in political parties, elections, and clientelism, as well as those specifically concerned with the maturation of the world's largest democracy.' Tariq Thachil, Yale University, Connecticut