Contentious Politics and Democratization in Nepal
- Mahendra Lawoti - Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA
Contradicting the popular thesis that contentious politics generally promotes democratization, this topical book shows that some forms of contentious politics can hinder it, even as other forms strengthen democracy. It also suggests that the nature of activities-whether they are coercive or voluntary-lead to different effects on democratization. A timely addition to the literature on contentious politics, democratization, and Nepal, it will be of interest to scholars studying democratic politics, as well as practitioners engaged in nurturing development in fledgling democracies.
We learn a great deal about the state of democratization in Nepal from this volume and also learn about the implications it will have for Nepal’s liberal democratic state…The contributions to this volume are carefully chosen, and the interconnections are nicely spelt out...Lawoti’s contribution breaks new ground…he teases out casual relationships between protest and democracy for a country not well understood and largely ignored in theoretical literature…I strongly recommend this volume to all interested in comparative politics and South Asia. Mahendra Lawoti provided valuable insights in a set of extraordinary events that have come to pass in that country while debating democratic consolidation and failures.
The book presents a balanced view of the role of various political parties and movements in contemporary Nepal.