What do voters want? Better job opportunities tops the list · 2019. 4. 19. · policing that is a...
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No oce in this land is more important than that of being a citizen — Felix Frankfurter PRATEEK RAJ / TRILOCHAN SASTRY T he Association for Demo- cratic Reforms (ADR) commissioned one of the world’s largest voter surveys of over 2.7 lakh adult Indi- ans in 534 Lok Sabha constituen- cies during October to December 2018. This is the third round of the ADR survey and its aim is to under- stand the key issues that Indian voters care about. In this article we review the voter feedback and shed light on the central and surprising insights we learn. India is the world’s largest democracy with exceptional di- versity. Yet, despite the size and di- versity, it is striking to learn that Indian voters across gender, caste and age prioritise the same set of universal issues that relate to a de- sire for better employment oppor- tunities, well-being and quality of life. Beyond these universal issues, we also learn that urban and rural voters have some distinct priorit- ies. While urban voters desire bet- ter governance and environment, rural voters prioritise several is- sues that relate to the agriculture sector. Universal issues A desire for better employment op- portunities, is the central issue that Indian voters are most concerned about universally, across demo- graphic groups and in almost all States. As many as 47 per cent of all respondents state it as a top five governance priority, and the issue is especially more acute in urban regions, where 52 per cent of all re- spondents state it as a top priority. The issue of employment oppor- tunity is a top three issue in 26 of the 28 States surveyed. The second most acute and uni- versal issue for voters is the avail- ability of better hospitals and primary healthcare centres, with 35 men and women giving similar priority to the issue. Once again, we find that voters prioritise secur- ity issues like policing and security of women that are of immediate and everyday relevance to them. United in preferences While voters state their prefer- ences in surveys, it does not imply that they vote strictly on the basis of these stated preferences. For ex- ample, an overwhelming majority of respondents (98 per cent) say that candidates with criminal background should not be in Par- liament or State Assembly, but as many as 36 per cent of respond- ents say they are willing to vote for a candidate with a criminal record if they have done good work in the past. In an election as large and di- verse as India’s, it is easy for politi- cians to attempt to exploit voter differences. Yet, an overwhelming narrative that emerges from the ADR survey is that Indian voters, despite their geographic and demographic diversity, are united in their preferences. So what does the survey tell us about what India wants? India wants better economic opportun- ities (employment), well-being (healthcare), quality of life (drink- ing water, road, and public trans- port) and security (police and wo- men empowerment). Urban India also desires a better city life with environmentally con- scious urban governance (less trac and pollution) and rural In- dia is looking for solutions that will fix the slump of growth that the agriculture sector in India faces today (access to water and electricity, availability of loan and subsidies, higher price realisation). Raj is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Sastry is a Professor of Decision Sciences at IIM Bangalore. ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms) is a non-partisan, NGO which aims at bringing transparency and accountability in Indian politics isation. More broadly, these re- sponses suggest that rural voters are demanding more focussed policies that look at the economics of agriculture as a whole (funding, inputs, pricing) and can improve the fortunes of the slow growing agriculture sector in an otherwise fast-growing Indian economy. Another primary sector — sand and stone quarrying/mining — was also a salient concern for rural voters with 21 per cent of rural re- spondents mentioning it as a top five governance issue. The non-issues The most important governance priorities for Indian voters relate to the economy, individual well-be- ing and the environment. With this insight, we also learn that “hot button” issues such as eradication of corruption, reservation for jobs and education, lower food prices for consumers, strong defence/ military and terrorism are a top five issue for a much smaller frac- tion of respondents. While eradication of corruption and reservation of jobs and educa- tion are still top five governance is- sue for 11 per cent and 10 per cent of the respondents respectively (slightly higher in urban areas at 14 per cent and 12 per cent), issues such as lower food prices for cus- tomers (7 per cent), strong de- fence/military (4 per cent) and ter- rorism (4 per cent) do not emerge as important issues that voters re- gard as top five priorities for them. More than strong defence or ter- rorism, it is better law and order/ policing that is a major and univer- sal issue for voters. While 24 per cent of all respondents state poli- cing as a top-five issue, in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh it emerges as a top three issue. The issue of law and order is more acute in urban areas where 29 per cent of all urban respond- ents state it as a top five priority. Similarly, 15 per cent of all respond- ents mention empowerment of wo- men and security as a top-five, with electricity for agriculture is a top five issue. Thirty-nine per cent say agricul- tural loan availability is a top issue for them, and the same fraction of rural respondents report subsidies for seeds/fertiliser to be a top issue. These responses highlight that availability of and funding for in- puts of agriculture (water, electri- city, seed, fertilisers, loan/subsidy) remains a major concern for rural voters. Additionally, 39 per cent of rural respondents say higher price realisation for farm products is a top five issue, highlighting that rural voters are not satisfied with the current mechanisms of price real- has been facing one of the worst in- stances of urban pollution (cur- rently 22 of the most polluted 30 cities in the world are in India). Rural issues Rural voters make the majority of the Indian population, and their specific issues rank among the top governance issues of India. Rural voters, like their urban counter- parts, have some distinct priorities and all relate to the economics of agriculture. Forty-one per cent of all rural respondents say availabil- ity of water for agriculture is a top five governance issue for them, and 37 per cent say availability of issue. These trac-related issues, coupled with the demand for bet- ter roads and public transport, highlight the importance of urban planning and governance in these elections. Such a trend should not come as a surprise, given the rapid pace of urban growth India has seen over the last few decades. Urban voters are also longing for a better environment. Thirty-four per cent of urban respondents state water and air pollution to be a top five governance issue for them, while noise pollution follows closely at 32 per cent, showcasing the centrality of pollution as an electoral issue at a time when India per cent of all respondents (39 per cent in urban areas) listing it as a top five governance priority. In other words, Indian voters are not focussing on the economy alone, and they want better healthcare fa- cilities, and more generally a bet- ter quality of life. Healthcare res- onates as a top governance issue across all demographic groups, and is a top three issue in 18 of the 28 States surveyed. The third most important issue that is universally prioritised across all demographic groups (30 per cent of all respondents), and appears as the most important governance issue in the States of Karnataka and Odisha, is the avail- ability of drinking water. The issue of drinking water is followed by a de- mand for better roads and better public transport (28 per cent and 27 per cent of all respondents state them as top five issues), which too are universally prioritised by voters across all demographic groups. Drinking water, better roads and public transport are all issues that relate to everyday quality of life of voters, and they are especially acute in urban areas where around 35 per cent of all respondents re- port them as top five governance priorities. Some other issues of note that voters especially in urban areas prioritise are availabil- ity of electricity for domestic use (25 per cent of urban respondents and 20 per cent of all respondents), and school education (20 per cent of urban respondents and 16 per cent of all respondents), both of which also directly relate to the quality of life. Urban issues Urban voters prioritise a few issues that are unique to the urban set- ting, and they relate to a demand for better urban governance and environment. Thirty-seven per cent of urban respondents note trac congestion as a top five gov- ernance issue, and 23 per cent of them say better facilities for cyclists and pedestrians on roads is a top five What do voters want? Better job opportunities tops the list Healthcare and drinking water too are among the top five issues for Indian voters, reveals ADR’s national survey. Defence and terrorism are not priority issues for most
Transcript of What do voters want? Better job opportunities tops the list · 2019. 4. 19. · policing that is a...
No offi��ce in this land is moreimportant than that of beinga citizen
— Felix Frankfurter
PRATEEK RAJ / TRILOCHAN SASTRY
The Association for Demo-cratic Reforms (ADR)commissioned one ofthe world’s largest voter
surveys of over 2.7 lakh adult Indi-ans in 534 Lok Sabha constituen-cies during October to December2018. This is the third round of theADR survey and its aim is to under-stand the key issues that Indianvoters care about. In this article wereview the voter feedback and shedlight on the central and surprisinginsights we learn.
India is the world’s largestdemocracy with exceptional di-versity. Yet, despite the size and di-versity, it is striking to learn thatIndian voters across gender, casteand age prioritise the same set ofuniversal issues that relate to a de-sire for better employment oppor-tunities, well-being and quality oflife.
Beyond these universal issues,we also learn that urban and ruralvoters have some distinct priorit-ies. While urban voters desire bet-ter governance and environment,rural voters prioritise several is-sues that relate to the agriculturesector.
Universal issuesA desire for better employment op-portunities, is the central issue thatIndian voters are most concernedabout universally, across demo-graphic groups and in almost allStates. As many as 47 per cent of allrespondents state it as a top fi��vegovernance priority, and the issueis especially more acute in urbanregions, where 52 per cent of all re-spondents state it as a top priority.The issue of employment oppor-tunity is a top three issue in 26 ofthe 28 States surveyed.
The second most acute and uni-versal issue for voters is the avail-ability of better hospitals andprimary healthcare centres, with 35
men and women giving similarpriority to the issue. Once again,we fi��nd that voters prioritise secur-ity issues like policing and securityof women that are of immediateand everyday relevance to them.
United in preferencesWhile voters state their prefer-ences in surveys, it does not implythat they vote strictly on the basisof these stated preferences. For ex-ample, an overwhelming majorityof respondents (98 per cent) saythat candidates with criminalbackground should not be in Par-liament or State Assembly, but asmany as 36 per cent of respond-ents say they are willing to vote fora candidate with a criminal recordif they have done good work in thepast.
In an election as large and di-verse as India’s, it is easy for politi-cians to attempt to exploit voterdiff��erences. Yet, an overwhelmingnarrative that emerges from theADR survey is that Indian voters,despite their geographic anddemographic diversity, are unitedin their preferences.
So what does the survey tell usabout what India wants? Indiawants better economic opportun-ities (employment), well-being(healthcare), quality of life (drink-ing water, road, and public trans-port) and security (police and wo-men empowerment).
Urban India also desires a bettercity life with environmentally con-scious urban governance (lesstraffi��c and pollution) and rural In-dia is looking for solutions thatwill fi��x the slump of growth thatthe agriculture sector in Indiafaces today (access to water andelectricity, availability of loan andsubsidies, higher pricerealisation).
Raj is an Assistant Professor ofStrategy and Sastry is a Professor ofDecision Sciences at IIM Bangalore.ADR (Association for DemocraticReforms) is a non-partisan, NGOwhich aims at bringing transparencyand accountability in Indian politics
isation. More broadly, these re-sponses suggest that rural votersare demanding more focussedpolicies that look at the economicsof agriculture as a whole (funding,inputs, pricing) and can improvethe fortunes of the slow growingagriculture sector in an otherwisefast-growing Indian economy.
Another primary sector — sandand stone quarrying/mining — wasalso a salient concern for ruralvoters with 21 per cent of rural re-spondents mentioning it as a topfi��ve governance issue.
The non-issuesThe most important governancepriorities for Indian voters relateto the economy, individual well-be-ing and the environment. Withthis insight, we also learn that “hotbutton” issues such as eradicationof corruption, reservation for jobsand education, lower food pricesfor consumers, strong defence/military and terrorism are a topfi��ve issue for a much smaller frac-tion of respondents.
While eradication of corruptionand reservation of jobs and educa-tion are still top fi��ve governance is-sue for 11 per cent and 10 per cent ofthe respondents respectively(slightly higher in urban areas at14 per cent and 12 per cent), issuessuch as lower food prices for cus-tomers (7 per cent), strong de-fence/military (4 per cent) and ter-rorism (4 per cent) do not emergeas important issues that voters re-gard as top fi��ve priorities for them.
More than strong defence or ter-rorism, it is better law and order/policing that is a major and univer-sal issue for voters. While 24 percent of all respondents state poli-cing as a top-fi��ve issue, inJharkhand, Rajasthan, Tripura andUttar Pradesh it emerges as a topthree issue.
The issue of law and order ismore acute in urban areas where29 per cent of all urban respond-ents state it as a top fi��ve priority.Similarly, 15 per cent of all respond-ents mention empowerment of wo-men and security as a top-fi��ve, with
electricity for agriculture is a top fi��veissue.
Thirty-nine per cent say agricul-tural loan availability is a top issuefor them, and the same fraction ofrural respondents report subsidiesfor seeds/fertiliser to be a top issue.These responses highlight thatavailability of and funding for in-puts of agriculture (water, electri-city, seed, fertilisers, loan/subsidy)remains a major concern for ruralvoters. Additionally, 39 per cent ofrural respondents say higher pricerealisation for farm products is a topfi��ve issue, highlighting that ruralvoters are not satisfi��ed with thecurrent mechanisms of price real-
has been facing one of the worst in-stances of urban pollution (cur-rently 22 of the most polluted 30cities in the world are in India).
Rural issuesRural voters make the majority ofthe Indian population, and theirspecifi��c issues rank among the topgovernance issues of India. Ruralvoters, like their urban counter-parts, have some distinct prioritiesand all relate to the economics ofagriculture. Forty-one per cent ofall rural respondents say availabil-ity of water for agriculture is a topfi��ve governance issue for them,and 37 per cent say availability of
issue. These traffi��c-related issues,coupled with the demand for bet-ter roads and public transport,highlight the importance of urbanplanning and governance in theseelections. Such a trend should notcome as a surprise, given the rapidpace of urban growth India hasseen over the last few decades.
Urban voters are also longing fora better environment. Thirty-fourper cent of urban respondentsstate water and air pollution to be atop fi��ve governance issue for them,while noise pollution followsclosely at 32 per cent, showcasingthe centrality of pollution as anelectoral issue at a time when India
per cent of all respondents (39 percent in urban areas) listing it as atop fi��ve governance priority. Inother words, Indian voters are notfocussing on the economy alone,and they want better healthcare fa-cilities, and more generally a bet-ter quality of life. Healthcare res-onates as a top governance issueacross all demographic groups,and is a top three issue in 18 of the28 States surveyed.
The third most important issuethat is universally prioritisedacross all demographic groups (30per cent of all respondents), andappears as the most importantgovernance issue in the States ofKarnataka and Odisha, is the avail-ability of drinking water. The issue ofdrinking water is followed by a de-mand for better roads and betterpublic transport (28 per cent and 27per cent of all respondents statethem as top fi��ve issues), which tooare universally prioritised byvoters across all demographicgroups.
Drinking water, better roads andpublic transport are all issues thatrelate to everyday quality of life ofvoters, and they are especiallyacute in urban areas where around35 per cent of all respondents re-port them as top fi��ve governancepriorities. Some other issues ofnote that voters especially inurban areas prioritise are availabil-ity of electricity for domestic use (25per cent of urban respondents and20 per cent of all respondents),and school education (20 per cent ofurban respondents and 16 per centof all respondents), both of whichalso directly relate to the quality oflife.
Urban issuesUrban voters prioritise a few issuesthat are unique to the urban set-ting, and they relate to a demandfor better urban governance andenvironment. Thirty-seven percent of urban respondents notetraffi��c congestion as a top fi��ve gov-ernance issue, and 23 per cent ofthem say better facilities for cyclistsand pedestrians on roads is a top fi��ve
What do voters want? Better job opportunities tops the listHealthcare and drinking water too are among the top fi��ve issues for Indian voters, reveals ADR’s national survey. Defence and terrorism are not priority issues for most
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