Welfare politics in Indian states: Too much, too soon, with too little?

Are welfare state and its agents, the political parties, making such excessive promises, particularly in pre-election years, with undesirable consequences?

The promise of too much, too soon, with too little is tempting for politicians for mobilising votes, particularly of the poor. This proclivity is also fuelled by an altered view about a decent standard of living triggered by a sea change in the location of the poor in recent decades. Most of the poor — nine out of 10 in 1990 — used to live in poor or low-income countries. Now, three-quarters live in middle-income countries. 

 

The indisputable moral imperative of helping the poor becomes compelling in middle-income countries, and gets reinforced by electoral compulsions in democracies. Recent elections in