Democracy, neoliberalism and growth with equity : lessons from India and Chile
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Contemporary South Asia
Publication Date
11-1-1999
Volume
8
Issue
3
First Page
347
Last Page
371
Abstract
This essay questions the still pervasive view that democratic regimes are ill‐suited to reconciling economic growth with distribution. Drawing on the experiences of post‐liberalization India (1991–1999) and post‐authoritarian Chile (1990–1999), it posits the question differently: what explains why Chile's new democracy (the Concertacion) has been able to judiciously combine market‐guided or neoliberal economic policies with reformist and distributive programs, while India, the developing world's largest democracy, has failed to combine its far‐reaching economic liberalization program ‘with a human face’. Moving beyond conventional arguments that stress the merits of authoritarian systems over democracies, the following comparative case study illustrates that it is the state's organizational and institutional capacities that really matter. For countries engaged in economic restructuring, the message is unambiguous: building and reinvigorating the state's administrative and institutional capacities are critical for promoting economic growth with redistribution.
DOI
10.1080/09584939908719873
Print ISSN
09584935
E-ISSN
1469364X
Publisher Statement
Copyright © Carfax Publishing Company 1999
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Sharma, S. D. (1999). Democracy, neoliberalism and growth with equity: Lessons from India and Chile. Contemporary South Asia, 8(3), 347-371. doi: 10.1080/09584939908719873