Coalitions And Consequences: Learnership And Leadership In India, 1948-2008

This paper attempts to explore a missing aspect of the large literature that has grown up around coalition governments in India and then to include that aspect in a discussion of the consequences of coalition governments. Are they good or bad for economic development, social change and honest, effective government? Do they work better at the state level rather than the national? The missing aspect is the 'Educational process' by which Indian politicians have learned the benefits and requirements of coalition governments and then how to make them work. The author argues that such a process began in the state of Kerala, took nearly a generation to 'Learn' and partly depended on the availability (and talents) of individual leaders.