Steven I Wilkinson
Biographic Data
| ID | 4372552 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Steven I Wilkinson |
| GIVEN NAMES | Steven I |
| FAMILY NAME | Wilkinson |
| SIGNATURE | WILKINSON S I |
| AFFILIATIONS | Yale University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 296 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 15 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 6 |
Making Officers out of Gentlemen
One big reason why India’s military was more cohesive and its civil–military relations less conflictual than those in many colonies after independence was that India could draw on a substantial pool of experienced Indian officers to provide continuity and fill higher-level positions left by the departing British officers in 1947. This was in sharp contrast to colonies such as Uganda, Kenya or the Belgian Congo, which began to train junior African…
Uncertain Glory? India’s Achievements in Perspective
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Where’s the Party? The Decline of Party Institutionalization and What (if Anything) that Means for Democracy
Strong institutionalized parties are often seen as vital for healthy democracies. The Indian case, therefore, represents a strange paradox: many parties are weak, corrupt and personalistic, yet democracy as a whole seems to be thriving, with increasing turnout and apparently strong popular support for democratic procedures and norms. This article explores some of the reasons for this strange outcome and suggests that the existing literature on pa…
Electoral Competition, the State, and Communal Violence
In a review of my 2004 book Votes and Violence,Ashutosh Varshney and Joshua Gubler criticize various aspects of the book and its electoral incentives theory. The implication is that Varshney's own local civic engagement theory provides a superior explanation for communal violence. This article responds to the specific criticisms of my arguments about the role of electoral incentives and state action, or inaction, in leading to communal violence, …
Does Combat Experience Foster Organizational Skill? Evidence from Ethnic Cleansing during the Partition of South Asia
Can combat experience foster organizational skills that engender political collective action? We use the arbitrary assignment of troops to combat in World War II to identify the effect of combat experience on two channels that change local ethnic composition and future political control: ethnic cleansing and co-ethnic immigration. During the Partition of South Asia, we find that ethnically mixed districts whose veterans were exposed to greater co…
Patrons, Clients and Policies
Riots
The past century of research has identified a host of economic, political, demographic, and other factors that seem to be associated with the prevalence of riots. The study of riots has, however, probably focused too much on these “push” factors that lead to violence and not enough on understanding the response of the state to riots. Understanding the political incentives that motivate democratic and authoritarian states to sometimes allow riots …
Measuring the Effect of “Ethnicity
Most tests of hypotheses about the effects of “ethnicity” on outcomes use data or measures that confuse or conflate what are termed ethnic structure and ethnic practice. This article presents a conceptualization of ethnicity that makes the distinction between these concepts clear; it demonstrates how confusion between structure and practice hampers the ability to test theories; and it presents two new measures of ethnic practice—ECI (the ethnic c…
Fortieth Anniversary Issue
Citizen–politician linkages
Since the 1970s, the “Third Wave” of democratic transitions has, by greatly enlarging the number and type of democracies, raised a host of new research questions on the dynamics of democratic accountability and responsiveness. After an initial period of scholarly attention to the process of regime transition, there has recently been a major effort to explain the origin and effects of democratic institutions, such as electoral laws, federalism str…
Patrons, clients, and policies
Elections in India
This article examines the effects of the unexpected defeat of India's Bharatiya Janata Party-National Democratic Alliance in the May 2004 general elections. The Congress-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won, not because of opposition to economic liberalization or its Hindu nationalist agenda, but because the Congress made much better alliances with regional parties. The new coalition government's ability to enact significant economic reforms or …
Votes and Violence
Why do ethnic riots break out when and where they do? Why do some governments try to prevent ethnic riots while others do nothing or even participate in the violence? In this book, Steven I. Wilkinson uses collected data on Hindu-Muslim riots, socio-economic factors and competitive politics in India to test his theory that riots are fomented in order to win elections and that governments decide whether to stop them or not based on the likely elec…
Social cleavages and electoral competition in India
Given the great diversity in language, ethnicity, and caste in India, and the resulting millions of possible winning electoral combinations, why is it that in contemporary India we see large state-wide and inter-state political coalitions built around categories such as "Bahujan" or "Backward Caste" instead of thousands of separate caste parties competing at the regional or zila (district) level? This question is the focus of Christophe Jaffrelot…
Froids calculs et foules déchaînées. Les émeutes intercommunautaires en Inde
Il est généralement admis que les violences interethniques sont fréquemment provoquées par des leaders en mal de légitimité et de pouvoir. Encore faut-il s'interroger sur les raisons pour lesquelles de telles violences se produisent dans certains cas, et pas dans d'autres apparemment aussi propices. En Inde, le nombre et la violence (nombre de victimes) des émeutes antimusulmanes, mesurés sur l'ensemble de la période depuis l'indépendance dans di…
Democratic consolidation and failure
The long transitions from military rule in Pakistan (1977–88) and Bangladesh (1975–90) have been almost completely ignored in studies of democratization. They deserve more attention, partly because, from the methodological point of view, the many similarities between them help us to isolate the most important factors that lead to successful transitions and democratic consolidation. The contrast between Bangladesh, which successfully consolidated …
Measuring the Effect of “Ethnicity
Most tests of hypotheses about the effects of “ethnicity” on outcomes use data or measures that confuse or conflate what are termed ethnic structure and ethnic practice. This article presents a conceptualization of ethnicity that makes the distinction between these concepts clear; it demonstrates how confusion between structure and practice hampers the ability to test theories; and it presents two new measures of ethnic practice—ECI (the ethnic c…
Votes and Violence
Why do ethnic riots break out when and where they do? Why do some governments try to prevent ethnic riots while others do nothing or even participate in the violence? In this book, Steven I. Wilkinson uses collected data on Hindu-Muslim riots, socio-economic factors and competitive politics in India to test his theory that riots are fomented in order to win elections and that governments decide whether to stop them or not based on the likely elec…
Riots
The past century of research has identified a host of economic, political, demographic, and other factors that seem to be associated with the prevalence of riots. The study of riots has, however, probably focused too much on these “push” factors that lead to violence and not enough on understanding the response of the state to riots. Understanding the political incentives that motivate democratic and authoritarian states to sometimes allow riots …
Does Combat Experience Foster Organizational Skill? Evidence from Ethnic Cleansing during the Partition of South Asia
Can combat experience foster organizational skills that engender political collective action? We use the arbitrary assignment of troops to combat in World War II to identify the effect of combat experience on two channels that change local ethnic composition and future political control: ethnic cleansing and co-ethnic immigration. During the Partition of South Asia, we find that ethnically mixed districts whose veterans were exposed to greater co…
Democratic consolidation and failure
The long transitions from military rule in Pakistan (1977–88) and Bangladesh (1975–90) have been almost completely ignored in studies of democratization. They deserve more attention, partly because, from the methodological point of view, the many similarities between them help us to isolate the most important factors that lead to successful transitions and democratic consolidation. The contrast between Bangladesh, which successfully consolidated …
Where’s the Party? The Decline of Party Institutionalization and What (if Anything) that Means for Democracy
Strong institutionalized parties are often seen as vital for healthy democracies. The Indian case, therefore, represents a strange paradox: many parties are weak, corrupt and personalistic, yet democracy as a whole seems to be thriving, with increasing turnout and apparently strong popular support for democratic procedures and norms. This article explores some of the reasons for this strange outcome and suggests that the existing literature on pa…
Elections in India
This article examines the effects of the unexpected defeat of India's Bharatiya Janata Party-National Democratic Alliance in the May 2004 general elections. The Congress-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won, not because of opposition to economic liberalization or its Hindu nationalist agenda, but because the Congress made much better alliances with regional parties. The new coalition government's ability to enact significant economic reforms or …
Electoral Competition, the State, and Communal Violence
In a review of my 2004 book Votes and Violence,Ashutosh Varshney and Joshua Gubler criticize various aspects of the book and its electoral incentives theory. The implication is that Varshney's own local civic engagement theory provides a superior explanation for communal violence. This article responds to the specific criticisms of my arguments about the role of electoral incentives and state action, or inaction, in leading to communal violence, …
Fortieth Anniversary Issue
Social cleavages and electoral competition in India
Given the great diversity in language, ethnicity, and caste in India, and the resulting millions of possible winning electoral combinations, why is it that in contemporary India we see large state-wide and inter-state political coalitions built around categories such as "Bahujan" or "Backward Caste" instead of thousands of separate caste parties competing at the regional or zila (district) level? This question is the focus of Christophe Jaffrelot…
Froids calculs et foules déchaînées. Les émeutes intercommunautaires en Inde
Il est généralement admis que les violences interethniques sont fréquemment provoquées par des leaders en mal de légitimité et de pouvoir. Encore faut-il s'interroger sur les raisons pour lesquelles de telles violences se produisent dans certains cas, et pas dans d'autres apparemment aussi propices. En Inde, le nombre et la violence (nombre de victimes) des émeutes antimusulmanes, mesurés sur l'ensemble de la période depuis l'indépendance dans di…
Democratic consolidation and failure
The long transitions from military rule in Pakistan (1977–88) and Bangladesh (1975–90) have been almost completely ignored in studies of democratization. They deserve more attention, partly because, from the methodological point of view, the many similarities between them help us to isolate the most important factors that lead to successful transitions and democratic consolidation. The contrast between Bangladesh, which successfully consolidated …
Social cleavages and electoral competition in India
Given the great diversity in language, ethnicity, and caste in India, and the resulting millions of possible winning electoral combinations, why is it that in contemporary India we see large state-wide and inter-state political coalitions built around categories such as "Bahujan" or "Backward Caste" instead of thousands of separate caste parties competing at the regional or zila (district) level? This question is the focus of Christophe Jaffrelot…
Votes and Violence
Why do ethnic riots break out when and where they do? Why do some governments try to prevent ethnic riots while others do nothing or even participate in the violence? In this book, Steven I. Wilkinson uses collected data on Hindu-Muslim riots, socio-economic factors and competitive politics in India to test his theory that riots are fomented in order to win elections and that governments decide whether to stop them or not based on the likely elec…
Elections in India
This article examines the effects of the unexpected defeat of India's Bharatiya Janata Party-National Democratic Alliance in the May 2004 general elections. The Congress-United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won, not because of opposition to economic liberalization or its Hindu nationalist agenda, but because the Congress made much better alliances with regional parties. The new coalition government's ability to enact significant economic reforms or …
Citizen–politician linkages
Since the 1970s, the “Third Wave” of democratic transitions has, by greatly enlarging the number and type of democracies, raised a host of new research questions on the dynamics of democratic accountability and responsiveness. After an initial period of scholarly attention to the process of regime transition, there has recently been a major effort to explain the origin and effects of democratic institutions, such as electoral laws, federalism str…
Patrons, clients, and policies
Measuring the Effect of “Ethnicity
Most tests of hypotheses about the effects of “ethnicity” on outcomes use data or measures that confuse or conflate what are termed ethnic structure and ethnic practice. This article presents a conceptualization of ethnicity that makes the distinction between these concepts clear; it demonstrates how confusion between structure and practice hampers the ability to test theories; and it presents two new measures of ethnic practice—ECI (the ethnic c…
Fortieth Anniversary Issue
Patrons, Clients and Policies
Riots
The past century of research has identified a host of economic, political, demographic, and other factors that seem to be associated with the prevalence of riots. The study of riots has, however, probably focused too much on these “push” factors that lead to violence and not enough on understanding the response of the state to riots. Understanding the political incentives that motivate democratic and authoritarian states to sometimes allow riots …
Does Combat Experience Foster Organizational Skill? Evidence from Ethnic Cleansing during the Partition of South Asia
Can combat experience foster organizational skills that engender political collective action? We use the arbitrary assignment of troops to combat in World War II to identify the effect of combat experience on two channels that change local ethnic composition and future political control: ethnic cleansing and co-ethnic immigration. During the Partition of South Asia, we find that ethnically mixed districts whose veterans were exposed to greater co…
Electoral Competition, the State, and Communal Violence
In a review of my 2004 book Votes and Violence,Ashutosh Varshney and Joshua Gubler criticize various aspects of the book and its electoral incentives theory. The implication is that Varshney's own local civic engagement theory provides a superior explanation for communal violence. This article responds to the specific criticisms of my arguments about the role of electoral incentives and state action, or inaction, in leading to communal violence, …
Uncertain Glory? India’s Achievements in Perspective
An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content
Where’s the Party? The Decline of Party Institutionalization and What (if Anything) that Means for Democracy
Strong institutionalized parties are often seen as vital for healthy democracies. The Indian case, therefore, represents a strange paradox: many parties are weak, corrupt and personalistic, yet democracy as a whole seems to be thriving, with increasing turnout and apparently strong popular support for democratic procedures and norms. This article explores some of the reasons for this strange outcome and suggests that the existing literature on pa…
Making Officers out of Gentlemen
One big reason why India’s military was more cohesive and its civil–military relations less conflictual than those in many colonies after independence was that India could draw on a substantial pool of experienced Indian officers to provide continuity and fill higher-level positions left by the departing British officers in 1947. This was in sharp contrast to colonies such as Uganda, Kenya or the Belgian Congo, which began to train junior African…
Political science (15 works) · Economics (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Political economy (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Politics (7 works) · Democracy (6 works) · Law (6 works) · Development economics (5 works) · Ethnic group (5 works)