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Rethinking Federalism: Changing Power Relations Between the Center and the States

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  • Amaresh Bagchi

Abstract

India's federalism during the last 50 years had two phases: three decades of centralized federalism followed by cooperative and competitive federalism. Unitary features of India's Constitution and planned development led to strong central dominance in the first phase, with the states in a subordinate position. The momentum of impressive initial growth did not last. The late 1970s saw a weakened Congress party, the emergence of coalition politics, and a shift in the Center-states power balance. Growth followed liberalization and moves toward decentralization, but this was accompanied by an accentuation of regional disparities and fiscal imbalances. A major factor in the negative results has been weaknesses in the intergovernmental transfer system. Desirable reforms, which maintain moves toward decentralization and greater states' autonomy, are explored here. Copyright 2003, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Amaresh Bagchi, 2003. "Rethinking Federalism: Changing Power Relations Between the Center and the States," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 33(4), pages 21-42, Fall.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:publus:v:33:y:2003:i:4:p:21-42
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    Cited by:

    1. Manjhi, Ganesh & Keswani Mehra, Meeta, 2016. "Center-State Political Transfer Cycles in India," MPRA Paper 70784, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Roberto Ezcurra, 2010. "Does decentralization matter for regional disparities? A cross-country analysis," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 10(5), pages 619-644, September.
    3. Pushkar, 2012. "Democracy and Infant Mortality in India’s ‘Mini-democracies’: A Preliminary Theoretical Inquiry and Analysis," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 7(2), pages 109-137, October.
    4. Nidhiya Menon & Susan L. Parish & Roderick A. Rose, 2014. "The "State" of Persons with Disabilities in India," Journal of Human Development and Capabilities, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(4), pages 391-412, November.
    5. Menon, Nidhiya & Parish, Susan L. & Rose, Roderick A., 2011. "Evidence of State-Level Variability in the Economic and Demographic Well-Being of People with Disabilities in India," IZA Discussion Papers 6218, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Fernanda Andrade de Xavier & Aparna P. Lolayekar & Pranab Mukhopadhyay, 2021. "Decentralization and Its Impact on Growth in India," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 16(1), pages 130-151, April.
    7. Bharatee Bhusana Dash, 2014. "Regional Income Disparity and Government Intervention in India," South Asia Economic Journal, Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka, vol. 15(2), pages 281-314, September.
    8. Kennedy, Loraine & Robin, Kim & Zamuner, Diego, 2013. "Comparing State-level policy responses to economic reforms in India," Revue de la Régulation - Capitalisme, institutions, pouvoirs, Association Recherche et Régulation, vol. 13.
    9. Pinaki Chakraborty & Shatakshi Garg, 2018. "Fiscal pressure of migration & horizontal fiscal inequality: Evidence from Indian experience," WIDER Working Paper Series 004, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    10. Ravindra H. Dholakia, 2015. "State Finances in the Context of the Emerging Fiscal Federalism in India: Analysis of Past Experience in Fiscal Discipline and Consolidation," Emerging Economy Studies, International Management Institute, vol. 1(2), pages 115-130, November.
    11. Gwen Arnold, 2015. "When Cooperative Federalism Isn’t: How U.S. Federal Interagency Contradictions Impede Effective Wetland Management," Publius: The Journal of Federalism, CSF Associates Inc., vol. 45(2), pages 244-269.
    12. Pinaki Chakraborty & Shatakshi Garg, 2018. "Fiscal pressure of migration and horizontal fiscal inequality: Evidence from Indian experience," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-4, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Loraine Kennedy, 2017. "State restructuring and emerging patterns of subnational policy-making and governance in China and India," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(1), pages 6-24, February.

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