Globalization and Labour Reforms The Politics of Interest Groups and Partisan Governments

Globalization, as commonly understood, limits policy choices of a nation by creating structural-institutional constraints. This leads to an important question: are political actors still relevant in shaping policy in the interest of domestic socio-economic concerns? This book draws attention to the continuing relevance of local politics in influencing public policy, through a study of labour market reforms. Labour, unlike other factors of production, is not only a resource but also an important social group capable of political manifestation. Drawing on evidence from states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and West Bengal, this book shows that despite pressures of policy convergence, labour reforms vary across states, depending on partisan governments, dynamics of interest group negotiations, and party competition. Using both qualitative and quantitative evidence, the book argues that "who governs" matters for how globalization unfolds in any society and that public policies continue to be nuanced, if not shaped, by politics.

Zaad Mahmood teaches political science at Presidency University, Kolkata, India. His research focuses on political economy of reforms, labour politics, public policy, and electoral politics in South Asia and specifically India. He has published his research in jounals like Business and Politics, Journal of South Asian Development, Indian Journal of Labour Economics, and Industrial Law Journal, and has contributed in many books. He is a consistent commentator on political events in regional and national news channels.