Party politics in India

Two features about this book seem especially noteworthy. In the first place, it is concerned with the developing political char-
acter of the recently emerged nation of India. In view of the mounting importance of this country in world affairs, we need
to know as much as we can about the political processes operating within it. Otherwise we will not be in a position to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of its institutions or estimate the chances of its future political stability and democratic character. Participation by the masses in the political life of India is of course a very recent thing, and the effort to adjust Western democratic procedures to the needs and conflicts of this ancient people provides some fascinating material for those interested in political management.l The author provides us with an insight into the way India is seeking to work out a political system which in some manner responds to the great variety of interests, classes, and loyalties of its vast population, and at the same time preserves the essential basis of national unity.)
In the second place, the author makes fruitful use of recent advances in the comparative study of political systems and parties
in different countries. This interesting development opens up new opportunities for the construction of theory in the field. On
the basis of the data collected in India, he formulates a number of hypotheses about the stability of political parties under the
conditions existing there. These should be of great value for purposes of comparison with studies of political parties in other
non-Western countries.