The Costly Campaigns of Indian Elections

3min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Exploring the escalating expenses of election campaigns in India, delving into factors like candidate numbers, intense campaigning strategies, rising competition, and the adoption of digital marketing. The chapter sheds light on how parties allocate funds towards various campaign expenses, including advertising, wages, logistics, and voter incentives, and touches on the consequences of this spending trend on politics.

Apple and Alphabet operate what is in effect a smartphone-app duopoly. Governments want to curb their power, but it is not clear whether more competition would change things. We ask why India’s election is so eye-wateringly expensive; the country’s size is not the only answer (08:59). And new approaches in the old fight against swarms of locusts (14:07).

Get a world of insights for 50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.