The modernization theory, as famously articulated by Seymour Martin Lipset (1959), posits a strong correlation between affluence and stable democracy, suggesting that rising levels of economic development — measured through indicators like per capita income, education, urbanization, and industrialization — create favorable conditions for the emergence and consolidation of democratic regimes. This theory has been … Continue reading Given the modernization theory’s postulate that affluence fosters stable democracy, and considering India’s unique trajectory of sustaining a democratic system despite prolonged periods of significant poverty, what specific socio-political and institutional factors within India’s historical and contemporary context can explain this apparent deviation from the theory, and what implications does this “Indian exception” hold for the broader theoretical understanding of the relationship between economic development and democratic consolidation in diverse global settings?