Resource
Institutional change and its impact on the poor and excluded: The Indian decentralisation experience
Fighting Social Exclusion Series
Summary (English)
This study analyses the impact of democratic decentralisation on the chances of social excluded groups to participate in newly created local governance institutions in three Indian states. This institutional reform included a quota for disadvantaged groups like women, lower casts and the poor to ensure their effective participation. The comparative analysis on the determinants of participation of these groups vis-à-vis other groups across the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh yields highly interesting results, relevant beyond the Indian context. The findings of this study lead to say that the success of institutional reforms aiming to increase political participation depend on the specific design of the process itself as well as on the local conditions. An effective devolution of resources to these local governance institutions seems to positively influence participation as well as vibrant political society characterized by a broad spectrum of political parties, active civil society and newspaper reading.
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