PANAJI
A very large number of studies show that democracies outperform dictatorships in terms of both economic growth and provision of public goods. However, China and India are two large and notable exceptions. The programme ‘Kitaab: Books in Discussion’ will be held at International Centre Goa on July 2 on the book ‘Thirsty Cities “ Social Contracts and Public Goods Provision in China and India’ wherein the author of this book Dr Selina Ho, assistant professor in International Affairs at National University of Singapore will discuss why authoritarian China provides a higher level of public goods “ specifically water - than democratic India. The moderator and discussant will be Dr Pushkar, director-ICG. The programme will be held on Zoom Live on July 2 from 4.30-5.30 pm and those interested to attend can register at: https://bit.ly/35gCbMi
Selina Ho specializes in Chinese politics and foreign policy, with a focus on infrastructure politics and water disputes. She was a Singapore public servant before joining academia. The book challenges the argument that democracies or dictatorships matter for public goods provision. Instead, the book shows that the different outcomes in China and India in terms of provision of public goods is best explained by the different types of social contract - a certain set of ideas, principles, and precepts that guide and inform the actions of state actors and ordinary citizens of a country “ in the two countries.
