Public Policy and Citizenship
Battling Managerialism in India
- Arvind Sivaramakrishnan - Adjunct Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras
Health, Education & Welfare Economics | Public Policy & Public Administration | South Asia Studies
The discussion in this volume revolves primarily around Indian public policy on health, agriculture, and education. The author argues that the condition of these areas, and therefore the condition of hundreds of millions of people, is worse than many analysts claim it to be. Using examples and evidence from a range of countries and public-policy systems, the book also shows the ways in which the managerialist application of public policies founded on neoliberal terms undermines the idea of citizenship in democracy.
The strength of the book is that it demonstrates links between public policy, the philosophy of the social sciences, and political philosophy, all in the light of everyday issues and concerns.
This book restores the idea of citizenship to the heart of public policy debates and shows very clearly the issues of informed judgment and political morality which lie at its heart.
In this insightful and carefully documented assessment of neoliberal thought and practice, Sivaramakrishnan points out how the emergence of an elite social network of managers from within and outside of government has insidiously helped to dismantle democratic Institutions, under the stated goal of improving efficiency and reducing disruptions to the continued functioning of the state.
There is nothing better available on the links in India between managerialism, neo-liberalism and the crisis of Indian democracy.