Elite Parties, Poor Voters

Tariq Thachil is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Yale University, Connecticut. Thachil's doctoral dissertation received the 2010 Gabriel A. Almond Award for best dissertation in the field of comparative politics from the American Political Science Association and the 2010 Sardar Patel Award for best dissertation on modern India in the humanities, education, fine arts, or social sciences from the University of California, Los Angeles. His articles have appeared in American Political Science Review, Comparative Politics, Contemporary South Asia, and World Politics.

• 1. Introduction; 2. An elite party's struggles with poor voters; 3. Why rich and poor voters support an elite party in India; 4. Why an elite party turned to service; 5. How service wins votes; 6. When service fails: the impact of rival strategies; 7. The argument in comparative perspective; 8. Conclusion; Appendix A. Variables, sources, and summary statistics; Appendix B. Additional tables and figures; Appendix C. Supplemental survey information; Appendix D. List of information in online supplement.

'Why would poor people support elite parties that do not advance their interests? In a fascinating and rigorous analysis, Tariq Thachil demonstrates that the private provision of services serves both the interests of poor supporters and the elite core. This incisive and compelling book addresses critical questions in comparative politics about the nature and uses of political parties, their supporters, and patronage.' Anna Grzymala-Busse, University of Michigan