Nationalism as a Democratic and Authoritarian Resource: India and Malaysia

• In Event: Nationalism and Inter-ethnic Conflict

Abstract

Is nationalism a wellspring for democracy or for authoritarianism? While political scientists increasingly recognize that nationalism affects outcomes ranging from public goods provision to immigration policies to mass violence, we have not systematically considered how nationalism might shape the long-term development of political regimes. Herein, we argue that long-term modalities of regime change across southern Asia have been causally shaped by the type of nationalism dominating in the aftermath of decolonization. An inclusive and egalitarian founding national narrative has been a durable resource for democratic actors in India, while a more exclusive and hierarchical founding national narrative has provided ideological fodder for sustaining authoritarian rule in Malaysia. Our analysis suggests that current battles to build and defend democracy in southern Asia are not merely contemporary struggles. They are ongoing historical fights between ideological visions that are crucially shaped by historical understandings of the nation.

Authors

• Dan Slater, University of Michigan

• Maya Jessica Tudor, Oxford University