Influence Of Freebies On Political Choices Of A Citizen: A Critical Study
- IJLLR Journal
- Dec 17, 2024
- 2 min read
Shubh Agarwal, National Law Institute University, Bhopal
Introduction
Freebies play a major role in influencing the voting behaviour of people. Nowadays, they have become the instrument of the political parties for securing the votes by promising the benefits. Instead of using them for the welfare purposes they have pulled them into the political domain.
In contemporary democratic systems, electoral competition is often marked by a growing trend of political parties offering various forms of material benefits, commonly referred to as "freebies," to the electorate. These promises range from free electricity, food grains, and healthcare to financial incentives such as direct cash transfers. The distribution of freebies is not limited to developing nations, though it is particularly pronounced in countries like India, where socioeconomic inequalities and underdevelopment create fertile ground for such political strategies. At first glance, these offers may seem like tools to alleviate poverty and promote welfare. However, the underlying dynamics are far more complex and raise critical questions about the role of freebies in shaping political choices and, ultimately, the democratic process itself.
Political parties have changed the foundational basis of what they were made for. They consider them as the electoral strategies for shaping the voter preferences and behaviour and in turn impacting the electoral decisions. This is one of the key concerns surrounding the use of freebies in elections is their impact on the quality of democracy. Democracies rely on the informed consent of the governed, wherein citizens are expected to make decisions based on their understanding of policy positions, governance records, and visions for the future. However, when elections are driven by the attractive immediate material benefits, the electorate may be biased by short-term considerations, ignoring the larger picture of governance. This shift has the potential to destroy the very essence of democracy by encouraging a transactional relationship between the state and its citizens.
