Game Theory Term Paper
Game Theory Term Paper
Anomitra Bhattacharya ab783@cornell.edu, Cornell ID – 2316802
What ails Uttar Pradesh?
The states of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Tamil Nadu (TN) reveal a marked north-south divide in India. Uttar Pradesh, which was ahead of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s, now lags behind in the same sectors where Tamil Nadu has made significant progress. If one were to study Indian history or politics, UP’s lag would come as a surprise. All but four Prime Ministers of India have come from UP. UP has the famous Taj Mahal, the ancient & holy city of Varanasi and the confluence of Ganga and Jamuna rivers in Allahabad. These sites are of great national and international importance. What then accounts for such a miserable record for UP? The long-term reasons are unclear, but the more recent causes are identifiable. We use game theory to explain some of these causes.
For roughly two decades until 2007, no government in UP lasted throughout its term and there was no political stability. In the state elections of May 2007, the victory of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a primarily Dalit (lower caste) party under the leadership of Mayawati, finally terminated the endemic political chaos and promised political stability. BSP won 206 of the 402 seats in the state assembly elections. Mayawati’s victory was based on an unusual social coalition. In 2007, every sixth Brahmin (higher caste) in UP voted for the BSP. Even in South India, where the non-Brahmin castes came to power in the 1960s, Dalits, the bottom of the social ladder, were never in the lead. Mayawati’s 2007 victory constituted a democratic political revolution of sorts.
The BSP’s rise to power created a window of opportunity for economic development. In a state haunted by endemic political instability, the very promise of political stability was a positive development. Mayawati’s victory, thus, opened the possibility of a dualistic political thrust. She had the opportunity to combine the politics of
Anomitra Bhattacharya ab783@cornell.edu, Cornell ID – 2316802
What ails Uttar Pradesh?
The states of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Tamil Nadu (TN) reveal a marked north-south divide in India. Uttar Pradesh, which was ahead of Tamil Nadu in the 1960s, now lags behind in the same sectors where Tamil Nadu has made significant progress. If one were to study Indian history or politics, UP’s lag would come as a surprise. All but four Prime Ministers of India have come from UP. UP has the famous Taj Mahal, the ancient & holy city of Varanasi and the confluence of Ganga and Jamuna rivers in Allahabad. These sites are of great national and international importance. What then accounts for such a miserable record for UP? The long-term reasons are unclear, but the more recent causes are identifiable. We use game theory to explain some of these causes.
For roughly two decades until 2007, no government in UP lasted throughout its term and there was no political stability. In the state elections of May 2007, the victory of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a primarily Dalit (lower caste) party under the leadership of Mayawati, finally terminated the endemic political chaos and promised political stability. BSP won 206 of the 402 seats in the state assembly elections. Mayawati’s victory was based on an unusual social coalition. In 2007, every sixth Brahmin (higher caste) in UP voted for the BSP. Even in South India, where the non-Brahmin castes came to power in the 1960s, Dalits, the bottom of the social ladder, were never in the lead. Mayawati’s 2007 victory constituted a democratic political revolution of sorts.
The BSP’s rise to power created a window of opportunity for economic development. In a state haunted by endemic political instability, the very promise of political stability was a positive development. Mayawati’s victory, thus, opened the possibility of a dualistic political thrust. She had the opportunity to combine the politics of