IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/copoec/v26y2015i3p328-355.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Incompatible institutions: socialism versus constitutionalism in India

Author

Listed:
  • Shruti Rajagopalan

Abstract

There has been a decline in rule of law in India, reflected in the frequent amendments to the Indian Constitution. This paper analyzes the historical, ideological, and economic context for constitutional amendments to understand the reason for the deterioration of constitutionalism in India. I argue that the formal institutions of socialist planning were fundamentally incompatible with the constraints imposed by the Indian Constitution. This incompatibility led to frequent amendments to the Constitution, especially in the area of Fundamental Rights. Consequently, pursuit of socialist policies gradually undermined the Constitution. The contradictory mixture of socialism and constitutionalism led to economic and political deprivations that were never intended by the framers. I demonstrate this incompatibility using evidence from five-year-plans and constitutional amendments in India. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Shruti Rajagopalan, 2015. "Incompatible institutions: socialism versus constitutionalism in India," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 328-355, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:copoec:v:26:y:2015:i:3:p:328-355
    DOI: 10.1007/s10602-015-9188-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s10602-015-9188-0
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10602-015-9188-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jaivir Singh, 2006. "Separation of powers and the erosion of the ‘right to property’ in India," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 303-324, December.
    2. Panagariya, Arvind, 2011. "India: The Emerging Giant," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199751563.
    3. Arvind Subramanian, 2007. "The evolution of institutions in India and its relationship with economic growth," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 23(2), pages 196-220, Summer.
    4. Dani Rodrik & Arvind Subramanian, 2005. "From "Hindu Growth" to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 52(2), pages 193-228, September.
    5. Bhagwati, Jagdish, 1993. "India in Transition: Freeing the Economy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198288473.
    6. White,Lawrence H., 2012. "The Clash of Economic Ideas," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107012424, September.
    7. Peter J. Boettke, 1995. "Hayek's The Road to Serfdom Revisited: Government Failure in the Argument against Socialism," Eastern Economic Journal, Eastern Economic Association, vol. 21(1), pages 7-26, Winter.
    8. Dicey, Albert Venn, 1915. "Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution," History of Economic Thought Books, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, edition 8, number dicey1915.
    9. Feler Bose, 2010. "Parliament vs. Supreme court: a veto player framework of the Indian constitutional experiment in the area of economic and civil rights," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 336-359, December.
    10. T. N. Srinivasan, 2005. "Comments on "From 'Hindu Growth' to Productivity Surge: The Mystery of the Indian Growth Transition"," IMF Staff Papers, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 52(2), pages 229-233, September.
    11. Hayek, F. A., 2011. "The Constitution of Liberty," University of Chicago Press Economics Books, University of Chicago Press, number 9780226315379 edited by Hamowy, Ronald, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. G. P. Manish & Shruti Rajagopalan & Daniel Sutter & Lawrence H. White, 2015. "Liberalism in India," Econ Journal Watch, Econ Journal Watch, vol. 12(3), pages 432–459-4, September.
    2. Shruti Rajagopalan & Alex Tabarrok, 2021. "Simple rules for the developing world," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 52(2), pages 341-362, December.
    3. Abishek Choutagunta & G. P. Manish & Shruti Rajagopalan, 2021. "Battling COVID‐19 with dysfunctional federalism: Lessons from India," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 87(4), pages 1267-1299, April.
    4. Nikodym Tomáš & Nikodym Lukáš & Pušová Tereza, 2015. "Post-War Czechoslovakia: A Theoretical Critique," Journal of Heterodox Economics, Sciendo, vol. 2(2), pages 93-112, December.
    5. Shruti Rajagopalan, 2023. "Mises's dynamics of interventionism: Lessons from Indian agriculture," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(3), pages 657-679, January.
    6. Art Carden, 2023. "Economic planning must be polycentric, not monocentric: Introduction to a symposium on Mises and Hayek on socialism and knowledge," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 89(3), pages 647-656, January.
    7. Sato, Hajime, 2017. "The Universality, Peculiarity, and Sustainability of Indian Public Interest Litigation Reconsidered," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 59-68.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Manmohan Agarwal & John Whalley, 2013. "The 1991 Reforms, Indian Economic Growth, and Social Progress," NBER Working Papers 19024, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Chakraborty, Shankha & Thompson, Jon C. & Yehoue, Etienne B., 2016. "The culture of entrepreneurship," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 288-317.
    3. Manas Ranjan Bhowmik & Saswata Guha Thakurata & Debolina Biswas, 2020. "Economic Growth and Rural Crisis in India: Imagining Cooperatives as a Viable Solution," Agrarian South: Journal of Political Economy, Centre for Agrarian Research and Education for South, vol. 9(2), pages 228-254, August.
    4. Bhattacharjeean, Arnab & Majumdar, Sumit K., 2011. "How much does industry matter in an emerging market economy?," SIRE Discussion Papers 2011-51, Scottish Institute for Research in Economics (SIRE).
    5. Agarwal, Manmohan & Whalley, John, 2013. "The 1991 Reforms, Indian Economic Growth, and Social Progress," CAGE Online Working Paper Series 128, Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE).
    6. Surajit Mazumdar, 2010. "Industry and Services in Growth and Structural Change in India: Some Unexplored Features," Working Papers 1002, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID).
    7. Gaurav Datt & Martin Ravallion & Rinku Murgai, 2020. "Poverty and Growth in India over Six Decades," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 102(1), pages 4-27, January.
    8. Beretta, Silvio & Targetti Lenti, Renata, 2011. "“India in the Outsourcing/Offshoring Process: A Western Perspective” - L’India nel processo di outsourcing/offshoring: un punto di vista occidentale," Economia Internazionale / International Economics, Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato Agricoltura di Genova, vol. 64(3), pages 269-296.
    9. Mazumdar, Surajit, 2017. "The Indian Economy in the Second Decade of the 21st Century: Signs of a Crisis?," MPRA Paper 93164, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. de Vries, Gaaitzen J. & Erumban, Abdul A. & Timmer, Marcel P. & Voskoboynikov, Ilya & Wu, Harry X., 2012. "Deconstructing the BRICs: Structural transformation and aggregate productivity growth," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 211-227.
    11. Constantinos Repapis, 2014. "J.M. Keynes, F.A. Hayek and the Common Reader," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 3(2), pages 1-1, September.
    12. Ashoka Mody & Anusha Nath & Michael Walton, 2010. "Sources of Corporate Profits in India - Business Dynamism or Advantages of Entrenchment?," CID Working Papers 212, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    13. Sen Gupta, Abhijit & Hasan, Rana & Lamba, Sneha, 2014. "Growth, Structural Change, and Poverty Reduction: Evidence from India," MPRA Paper 55247, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Kaushik Basu & Annemie Maertens, 2007. "The pattern and causes of economic growth in India," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 23(2), pages 143-167, Summer.
    15. Takatoshi ITO & Akira KOJIMA & Colin McKENZIE & Shujiro URATA, 2009. "Editors’ Overview," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 4(1), pages 1-18, June.
    16. Biru Paksha Paul, 2013. "Output Relationships in South Asia: Are Bangladesh and India Different from Neighbours?," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 14(1), pages 35-57, March.
    17. Laura Alfaro & Anusha Chari, 2009. "India Transformed? Insights from the Firm Level 1988-2005," Harvard Business School Working Papers 10-030, Harvard Business School.
    18. Albert Bollard & Peter Klenow & Gunjam Sharma, 2013. "India's Mysterious Manufacturing Miracle," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 16(1), pages 59-85, January.
    19. Erumban, Abdul Azeez & Das, Deb Kusum & Aggarwal, Suresh & Das, Pilu Chandra, 2019. "Structural change and economic growth in India," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 186-202.
    20. repec:dgr:rugggd:gd-121 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Stefan Kolev & Nils Goldschmidt & Jan-Otmar Hesse, 2020. "Debating liberalism: Walter Eucken, F. A. Hayek and the early history of the Mont Pèlerin Society," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 33(4), pages 433-463, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Indian Constitution; Property rights; Constitutional amendments; Socialist planning; Rule of law; B25; K100; K11; P37;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • B25 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - History of Economic Thought since 1925 - - - Historical; Institutional; Evolutionary; Austrian; Stockholm School
    • K11 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Property Law
    • P37 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist Institutions and Their Transitions - - - Legal

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:copoec:v:26:y:2015:i:3:p:328-355. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.