Politics of Fertility and Economic Development in India.

This paper estimates the impact of political development on demographic change and economic development in India’s states. The theoretical insights, drawn from existing models in political economy, are tested empirically using data from 28 states in India over the period 1981-2005. A measure of political capacity based on tax effort is first estimated for India’s states. Political capacity is expected to have negative effects on fertility - directly through the impact of family planning programs and indirectly through reductions in infant mortality. Controlling for physical and human capital accumulation, political development is expected to enhance economic development through the fertility and mortality transitions. The results are expected to reveal the regional drivers behind India’s economic success and the role of politics in promoting demographic stability and motivating economic growth at a sub-national level. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]