Full Paper Panel with Virtual Participation
Participants:
- (Chair) Irfan Nooruddin, Georgetown University
- (Discussant) Niloufer Siddiqui, SUNY, University at Albany
- (Discussant) Ashutosh Varshney, Brown University
Session Description:
Political parties have, at the best of times, been described as indispensable to democracy. But in times of rising authoritarianism, institutional fragility, democratic backsliding, their roles as gatekeepers of democracy is even more pivotal. This panel examines how parties and grassroots organizations strategically navigate institutional frameworks to communicate, maintain relevance, consolidate power, connect with voters, and balance organizational mandates. The papers explore these dynamics in the context of India, the world’s largest democracy and offer insights into how political actors reshape democracy under crises of inclusion, representation, and institutional legitimacy.
The first paper, “The Historical Roots of Party Fragmentation and Centralization in India,” explores the long-term consequences of historical institutional dynamics on the modern party system. It traces how party fragmentation and the centralization of regional parties emerged in response to the Congress Party’s dominance and resource asymmetries, offering a model to understand how political parties adapt to maintain relevance and control in competitive democracies.
The second paper, “Parties Against Democracy: The Unexpected Consequences of Electoral Quotas,” examines grassroots democratic competition using data from 500,000 contests over 25 years. It demonstrates how inclusionary institutions like quotas for marginalized groups can unintentionally undermine democracy by reducing participation and contestation. The paper traces this trade-off to institutional incentives that drive ruling parties to disproportionately target reserved seats through state-backed coercion, entrenching their dominance and subverting the democratic goals of these quotas.
The third paper, “How Grassroots Organizations Reconcile Mandate and Electoral Engagement,” investigates how grassroots organizations respond to democratic backsliding and threats to their survival. The paper argues that such organizations strategically balance their commitments to organizational mandates and political partisanship by acting as discretionary partisans, thereby navigating the tension between autonomy and electoral engagement under majoritarian regimes.
Finally, “Crowds as Content: Party Campaign Strategy in the Digital Age” examines how parties adapt traditional campaign methods to the demands of the digital era. Despite the availability of cost-effective online strategies, parties in India continue to rely on mass rallies to generate digital content that mobilizes voters and reinforces their political dominance. This paper highlights the evolving links between physical and digital modes of political communication.
Together, these papers underscore the role of political parties and grassroots organizations as strategic gatekeepers and communicators in an era of democratic backsliding. By repurposing institutions, grassroots mobilization, and leveraging technological shifts, parties restructure democratic processes to reinforce their dominance. This panel contributes to a broader understanding of the resilience and fragility of democracy and democratic actors in an era of democratic threat.