Political parties have finally woken up to the need to recruit people with some formal training in politics. Candidates with academic training in
political science or government are for the first time being offered internships by political parties across the spectrum.
That's the way to go. For far too long political parties have remained closed entities where entry has been determined by patronage. This has resulted in an unusually high number of elected representatives who are either wives, sons and daughters of established politicians or married into a political dynasty. The Lok Sabha elected in 2009 is testimony to this disquieting trend. Whereas the current Lok Sabha is decidedly more 'youthful' than earlier ones, many of the younger MPs unfortunately belong to political dynasties.
The trend towards patronage and cronyism shows Indian democracy in poor light. It also breeds cynicism among voters who view the political system as one that is not open to the best and brightest. One way to break this vicious cycle is to induct more people who are qualified in the science of politics and government. And who better than students of politics and public policy?
Students trained in political science and policy are much more likely to understand the issues confronting India and its people. They are also more qualified to come up with the right solutions to tackle the problems. Where they could be lacking are the skills and the funds to win elections. This can be overcome by having a lengthy induction process for qualified candidates who work for a party for a few years before taking the electoral plunge. In any case, many of the aspiring politicians could also be back-room people for parties.
Of course, leadership and charisma are equally important attributes of a politician, qualities that cannot be acquired by learning alone. What we need is the right balance of charismatic politicians with ones who have superior problem-solving skills. Some formal training in politics would go a long way towards providing this balance and improving the quality of political debate in the country.
political science or government are for the first time being offered internships by political parties across the spectrum.
That's the way to go. For far too long political parties have remained closed entities where entry has been determined by patronage. This has resulted in an unusually high number of elected representatives who are either wives, sons and daughters of established politicians or married into a political dynasty. The Lok Sabha elected in 2009 is testimony to this disquieting trend. Whereas the current Lok Sabha is decidedly more 'youthful' than earlier ones, many of the younger MPs unfortunately belong to political dynasties.
The trend towards patronage and cronyism shows Indian democracy in poor light. It also breeds cynicism among voters who view the political system as one that is not open to the best and brightest. One way to break this vicious cycle is to induct more people who are qualified in the science of politics and government. And who better than students of politics and public policy?
Students trained in political science and policy are much more likely to understand the issues confronting India and its people. They are also more qualified to come up with the right solutions to tackle the problems. Where they could be lacking are the skills and the funds to win elections. This can be overcome by having a lengthy induction process for qualified candidates who work for a party for a few years before taking the electoral plunge. In any case, many of the aspiring politicians could also be back-room people for parties.
Of course, leadership and charisma are equally important attributes of a politician, qualities that cannot be acquired by learning alone. What we need is the right balance of charismatic politicians with ones who have superior problem-solving skills. Some formal training in politics would go a long way towards providing this balance and improving the quality of political debate in the country.
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