Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2024
Why do states falter in implementing policies despite having systemic incentives and inclinations... more Why do states falter in implementing policies despite having systemic incentives and inclinations towards those policies? For structural realists, such accounts of state behaviour remain a persistent anomaly. In Subcontinental Drift, Rajesh Basrur draws upon neo-classical realism to explain this anomaly in Indian state behaviour by showing how domestic political processes affect foreign policy decision-making that leads to suboptimal outcomes. Basrur's central concern is to explain the gap between India's foreign policy aims and its actual choices, which he terms as 'policy drifts'. Policy drifts are defined as slow and aimless movements deviating from the expected paths. These drifts are identified by examining the irregularities between the policy prescription and the actual process of policy actions. He argues that policy drift occurs due to two factors: the material distribution of domestic political power (power deficit) and leadership willingness (or lack of it) to meet political responsibility and accountability (responsibility deficit). Further, the drifts are characterised into two types: involuntary and voluntary. Involuntary drift occurs when policymakers do not have substantial control over the levers of policymaking due to the fragmented nature of domestic political power. On the other hand, voluntary drift occurs when policymakers have substantial control over policymaking but fail to make decisive policy decisions, thus abdicating political responsibility. After providing a theoretical account, Basrur, over the next four chapters, outlines the empirical case studies to explain the policy drift in India's foreign policy. The first two cases focus on the India-US nuclear agreement and India-Sri Lanka relations during the latter's civil war. Both of these cases are identified by the author as examples of an 'involuntary policy drift' caused by material factorsspecifically the fragmentation of domestic political power, which allowed regional parties to have excessive influence in the policymaking process. The India-US nuclear agreement got mired in domestic politics due to opposition by nuclear bureaucracy and opposition parties. Specifically, the major opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the deal without having any reservation for it but for tactical reasons to dislodge the government. Similarly, in the case of Sri Lanka, New Delhi's actions were constrained due to the resistance from the regional parties in Tamil Nadu that supported the national government in Delhi. The next two case studies, India's nuclear strategy and its counter-terrorism policies, are examples of what the author considers to be 'voluntary policy drift'.
Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2024
Why do states falter in implementing policies despite having systemic incentives and inclinations... more Why do states falter in implementing policies despite having systemic incentives and inclinations towards those policies? For structural realists, such accounts of state behaviour remain a persistent anomaly. In Subcontinental Drift, Rajesh Basrur draws upon neo-classical realism to explain this anomaly in Indian state behaviour by showing how domestic political processes affect foreign policy decision-making that leads to suboptimal outcomes. Basrur's central concern is to explain the gap between India's foreign policy aims and its actual choices, which he terms as 'policy drifts'. Policy drifts are defined as slow and aimless movements deviating from the expected paths. These drifts are identified by examining the irregularities between the policy prescription and the actual process of policy actions. He argues that policy drift occurs due to two factors: the material distribution of domestic political power (power deficit) and leadership willingness (or lack of it) to meet political responsibility and accountability (responsibility deficit). Further, the drifts are characterised into two types: involuntary and voluntary. Involuntary drift occurs when policymakers do not have substantial control over the levers of policymaking due to the fragmented nature of domestic political power. On the other hand, voluntary drift occurs when policymakers have substantial control over policymaking but fail to make decisive policy decisions, thus abdicating political responsibility. After providing a theoretical account, Basrur, over the next four chapters, outlines the empirical case studies to explain the policy drift in India's foreign policy. The first two cases focus on the India-US nuclear agreement and India-Sri Lanka relations during the latter's civil war. Both of these cases are identified by the author as examples of an 'involuntary policy drift' caused by material factorsspecifically the fragmentation of domestic political power, which allowed regional parties to have excessive influence in the policymaking process. The India-US nuclear agreement got mired in domestic politics due to opposition by nuclear bureaucracy and opposition parties. Specifically, the major opposition party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the deal without having any reservation for it but for tactical reasons to dislodge the government. Similarly, in the case of Sri Lanka, New Delhi's actions were constrained due to the resistance from the regional parties in Tamil Nadu that supported the national government in Delhi. The next two case studies, India's nuclear strategy and its counter-terrorism policies, are examples of what the author considers to be 'voluntary policy drift'.
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