1st Edition
Strongmen Saviours A Political Economy of Populism in India, Turkey, Russia and Brazil
This book is an introduction to right-wing populist movements outside the West, looking at four key case studies, their commonalities and differences.
Populism has been on the rise worldwide since the global financial crisis of 2008, with few countries left entirely untouched by the phenomenon. At the same time, the specific circumstances of different countries vary considerably; and it is important that in seeking to understand these movements, we do not assume they are all the same – albeit that they have some characteristics in common. This book takes the case studies of India, Turkey, Russia and Brazil in turn, examining how they have each taken quite distinct journeys to similar destinations. It offers both a better understanding of each country’s slide towards ‘strongman’ authoritarianism and an analysis of the common elements shared between them.
This book is an essential introduction to the rise of populism outside the West for students of international political economy and comparative politics.
1. Introduction PART I: INDIA 2. India’s Transformation: From Nehru to Vajpayee 3. From ‘Pracharak’ to ‘Pradhan Sevak’: The Rise of Narendra Damodardas Modi 4. India Under Modi’s Leadership 5. Part Conclusion: India PART II: TURKEY 6. The Inception of Modern Turkey: A Background Context 7. The Boy from Anatolia 8. Turkey under the Rule of Erdogan 9. Part Conclusion: Turkey PART III: RUSSIA 10. From the Tsars to Gorbachev 11. Vladimir Putin: His Life before the Limelight 12. Putin’s Russia: The System and the Man 13. Part Conclusion: Russia PART IV: BRAZIL 14. The Past as a Guide to the Present 15. The ‘Poor Boy from Sao Paulo’ and his Rise to Power 16. An Election Victory – and a New Era for Brazil under Bolsonaro? 17. Part Conclusion: Brazil 18. In Summation: What We Can Learn from Cross-Country Narratives
Biography
Deepanshu Mohan is Associate Professor of Economics and Director at the Centre for New Economics Studies (CNES), Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India. He is a Visiting Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada; and an Honorary Associate Professor at the School of Public Leadership, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Abhinav Padmanabhan is a Teaching and Research Fellow at the Jindal School of International Affairs and a Senior Research Assistant at CNES, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, OP Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
“Strongmen Saviours is an admirable attempt to study the rise of strong leaders in India, Russia, Turkey and Brazil in comparative perspective. It will provide readers a sense of the possible similarities and differences in these cases. One may not agree with all the authors’ conclusions, but the juxtaposition of these cases provides immense food for thought.”
Dr. Pratap Bhanu Mehta“Populism is a political phenomenon that has surged in power across the world in recent years. Understanding its origins and its significance is thus more important than ever. In Strongmen Saviours, Deepanshu Mohan and Abhinav Padmanabhan’s focus on India, Turkey, Russia and Brazil helps re-orient the investigation of populism away from just Europe and America and toward these key regional powers. An important contribution to the global study of this alarming and ever-strengthening trend.”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor
