State of Democracy in South Asia by Centre for the study of Developing Societies
Project supported by Ford Foundation, International IDEA, and EU-India Cross Cultural Program of the EU
Research Partners
International IDEA Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda, Sri Lanka. Professor Mohammed Waseem, Pakistan. Dr. Krishna Hachhetu, Nepal. Professor Imtiaz Ahmed, Bangladesh.
Objectives of the study ď Ź
To investigate what democracy has done to South Asia and what South Asia has done to democracy.
ď Ź
Discontent with existing discourses as being inattentive, hegemonic and ethnocentric.
Limitations of current thinking on governance
‘Deficit’ based thinking: of information, administration, resources and political will. ‘System’ centric thinking: inputs, processes, outputs. ‘Politics’ is missing: of agents, interests, elites, ideologies, and institutions. No sense of the dialectics between institutions and processes.
Our Research Grid Promise -what moral burden does democracy carry in South Asia -what futures does it advance
Design -Institutional structure: political, social, economic -Parties/ Civil Society Organizations
Working -Sociology, Economy and Anthropology of institutions -practices of political leaders, parties, organizations etc
Outcomes -democratization of state and society, elite rule.
Futures -likely trajectories.
Four Research Pathways of Democracy Assessment Cross-sectional survey – Qualitative Assessment – Dialogues – Case Studies –
Component 1: Survey – Some Questions
How do ordinary South Asians view democracy How do perceptions vary according to country, class, gender and social divisions What/ Who do they identify as the main threats to their security What is their level of trust in the capacity of institutions to meet their needs How does the perception of the elite relate to that of the cross section of the population
Component 1: Different aspects of inquiry –
Questions that have been asked Globally, across South Asia, and specific to each country.
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Qs on: Battery on: legitimacy, efficacy, trust, participation
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Qs on: Identity, dignity, notion of self-hood.
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Qs on: Security and freedom from fear.
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Qs on: Material outcomes and freedom from want
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Qs on: Satisfaction with democracy.
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Methodology: Total elector, no of parliamentary constituencies, and proposed sample units. Country
Voters( milli on)
Total no of PCs
No of sampled constit(15%)
No of sampled booths
Targeted interviews (per booth)
B’desh
56.7
300
45
45*6=270
4320 (16)
India
617.01
3912
298
298*2/3=622
9330 (15)
Nepal
13.52
205
39
31*6=186
4000 (22)
Pakistan
55.74
207
31
31*6=186
4092 (22)
S’Lanka
12.07
196
30
30*6=180
4500 (25)
Total
755.13
26,242
Component 1: Methodology: Preparation for Survey
Draw upon questionnaires of CSDS and various barometers Dialogues with activists Country coordinators to discuss draft questionnaire Common questions and country specific questions Translation into local languages Pilot survey Canvassing by field teams in each country Data processed and computerized Analysis plan collectively prepared
Component 2: Qualitative Assessment Agreement over main thrust of IDEA framework
Assessment of ‘old’ as well as ‘new ‘ democracies People of the country to undertake assessment Assessment to be broad-based and objective Assessment to be the anchor for democracy discourse Two-fold anchorage: theoretical and historicalsociological
Component 2: Expert led Assessment Some questions
What are the main components of the ‘promise’.?
What is the nature of the of the economic institutions and how does it relate to the political structure?
Is there a gap between the design and actual working?
Is the working characterized by limitation or closure in terms of participatory spaces, agendas and/or participants?
Has democracy been an instrument of social transformation?
What is the relationship between the procedural and substantive aspects of democracy?
Component 2: Methodology ď Ź
Country coordinator constitute a team of experts to prepare the background papers for the respective nodes.
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These papers and the relevant findings from the case studies and survey would be presented to the activists and experts from that country.
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On the basis of their comments the coordinator would prepare the final report of QA for the country.
Component 3 : Dialogues
Series of dialogues to be conducted at regional, national and local levels Dialogues to involve activists, journalists, academics, politicians, etc. Ownership of study broad based Conversation between different knowledge universes
Component 3: Types of dialogues
General: State of Democracy in South Asia
Thematic: (i) Democracy: Majorities and Minorities, (ii) Democracy and Human Security
Both types to be held in all 5 South Asian countries in different locations to ensure diversity of perspectives
Component 3: Methodology
Duration over two days for building trust among participants
Invitees from a cross section of interests, ideologies, social strata, and groups.
Special effort to have minority viewpoints attend.
Selection of Chair important.
Dialogue loosely structured.
Entire dialogue recorded, digitized and finally uploaded on website.
Separate report of dialogue prepared where the views of speakers are presented sequentially.
Component 4 : Case Studies
Based on the recognition that the survey, qualitative assessment and dialogues would still miss important aspects of democracy in practice.
Deliberate selection of aspects of practice that can be constructed as “puzzles” of democracy.
Goal to problematize the discourse on democracy by presenting “inconvenient facts”.
These “inconvenient facts” although located in South Asia have more general implications.
Evaluation of the case not straightforward e.g., families in politics, extension of women’s rights under dictatorship, life of file.
Component 4: Methodology
Selection of cases after listening to dialogues
Use different methodologies to illustrate the issue e.g ethnographic approach to study working of a law court
Case study not “illustration” of a feature of democratic practice but elaboration of an “inconvenient fact”.
Commission of studies to be completed over 8 months.
Output
Dissemination of first ever South Asia wide survey on citizens attitudes through media Publication of a Citizen’s report on Democracy in South Asia Report available in more than one South Asian Language Data archive open for public access
Outcomes
Promote public discourse with political parties, people’s movements, and civil society organizations South Asian Survey to join the ranks of other Barometers Contribute to the development of a Human Security Index Transform the global discourse on democracy and governance.
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