Pocketbook Voting in India’s 18th Parliamentary Elections (2024)
| Published date | 01 December 2024 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/23210230241289454 |
| Author | Mohd. Sanjeer Alam |
| Date | 01 December 2024 |
Pocketbook Voting in India’s 18th
Parliamentary Elections (2024)
Mohd. Sanjeer Alam1
Abstract
The economic theory of voting has long remained a cornerstone in the study of voting behaviour,
especially in economically developed democracies. At the heart of it is the assumption that economic
contexts shape voting choice and influence electoral outcomes as management of the economy is an
important function of governments and that citizens hold elected representatives accountable for the
nation’s as well as family’s economic situation. Voters support ruling party candidates when they think
the incumbent government has delivered on the economic front—creation of employment opportuni-
ties, keeping price of essential goods and services under control, rise in income across social layers
and so on. In India, much of the analysis of voting behaviour is focused on shifting allegiance of support
across social constituencies—particularly caste and religion. Economic factors of voting choices have
received little attention to the extent as if they do not matter. However, analysis of NES (2024) data
suggests that economic factors swayed a significant chunk of voters and thus influenced the final elec-
toral outcomes. Anchored in economic theoretical context of voting behaviour, this article particularly
examines whether there was pocketbook voting and whether it influenced the electoral outcomes of
the 18th general election to Lok Sabha (2024). The findings show that pocketbook voting had significant
and substantial effect on political preference.
Keywords
Indian democracy, political idea, public policies, qualitative and quantitative traditions
Introduction
Electoral outcomes are rarely determined by one single factor. Most often, they are shaped by a combina-
tion of factors in complex ways. Nonetheless, economic explanations of electoral outcomes have
long remained a cornerstone in the study of voting behaviour, particularly in economically advanced
Original Article
Studies in Indian Politics
12(2) 251–264, 2024
© 2024 Lokniti, Centre for the
Study of Developing Societies
Article reuse guidelines:
in.sagepub.com/journals-permissions-india
DOI: 10.1177/23210230241289454
journals.sagepub.com/home/inp
1 Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi, India
Corresponding author:
Mohd. Sanjeer Alam, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, 29, Rajpur Road, Delhi 110054, India.
E-mail: sanjeer.alam@gmail.com
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