The Politics of Comportment: Theory and Evidence from India's Small Towns

Paper Abstract

Studies of political selection in low and middle-income democracies often highlight how state institutions channel resources with discretion. However, an emphasis on discretion has overshadowed how these institutions are broadly dismissive towards citizens who approach them. We argue the frequent indignities and disrespect citizens experience from state institutions has consequences for political selection. Where research on distributive politics emphasizes shared ethnicity and partisanship, a focus on institutional derisiveness reveals a strikingly understudied dimension of politician assessment. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and surveys of voters and politicians in India's small towns, we document the importance of a candidate's comportment: their reputation for treating constituents with respect and humility, while treating officials with the opposite  qualities|brazenness and impatience. We find comportment is a desired end in itself, not just a signal of willingness to provide material benefits. This study demonstrates the importance of social affect in driving electoral politics in India and elsewhere in the Global South.

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