How do Indian citizens access the state? While a standard answer would be "through patronage," three recent books show that clientelism, while important, is just part of the story. Not just passive clients at the mercy of their political patrons, Indian citizens actively engage the state and their representatives to make claims and secure what is due to them. Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner's Claiming the State—Active Citizenship and Social Welfare in Rural India shows how rural dwellers navigate the local government system to access social welfare. Adam Auerbach's Demanding Development: The Politics of Public Goods Provision in India's Urban Slums documents how local political workers make claims on behalf of their neighbours and provide their settlements with essential services. Jennifer Bussell's Clients and Constituents: Political Responsiveness in Patronage Democracies persuasively demonstrates the importance of higher-level representatives in providing assistance to their constituencies. Together, these books not only demonstrate how political the daily life of ordinary citizens is, but also how the Indian state, while far from its Weberian ideal, is much more inclusive than previously thought.

中文翻译：

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印度的索赔政治

印度公民如何进入国家？虽然标准答案是“通过赞助”，但最近的三本书表明，客户主义虽然很重要，但只是故事的一部分。印度公民不仅是受其政治赞助人摆布的被动客户，还积极与国家及其代表进行接触，以提出索赔并确保应得的利益。Gabrielle Kruks-Wisner 的主张国家权——印度农村地区的积极公民身份和社会福利展示了农村居民如何驾驭当地政府系统以获得社会福利。Adam Auerbach 的要求发展：印度城市贫民窟公共物品供应的政治记录了当地政治工作者如何代表他们的邻居提出要求并为他们的定居点提供基本服务。Jennifer Bussell 的客户和成员：赞助民主国家的政治反应令人信服地证明了高级代表在为其选区提供援助方面的重要性。总之，这些书不仅展示了普通公民的日常生活是多么的政治化，而且还展示了印度国家虽然远非韦伯式的理想，但却比以前想象的更具包容性。