State, Patronage and Local Elites

Abstract

It has been argued that the structural conditions of poverty and inequality have influenced the persistence of patronage politics in the country. However, the manner in which patronage relations are expressed, especially in local-level politics, has changed because of the numerous developments in the political economy of the country. In this regard, the dynamic impact of urbanization, capital penetration and state expansion have to be carefully assessed in order that we can arrive at a more profound reading of contemporary local politics.