Land Reform and Politics

Land Reform and Politics: A Comparative Analysis delves into the intricate relationship between land ownership and political dynamics in developing countries, exploring how land reform has historically and contemporarily shaped political power. The book highlights that, unlike in developed nations where the decline of agriculture has diminished land's political significance, land remains a central source of income and political influence in developing economies. This interdependence has evolved; land reform, often driven by demands for political legitimacy and stability, challenges entrenched power structures, reshaping political landscapes. While economic studies dominate the discourse on land reform, this volume emphasizes its political dimensions, exploring the elite’s role in initiating reform, the resistance of landed interests, and the peasantry's evolving political agency.

The study adopts a comparative approach, analyzing the political processes and effects of land reform in eight non-Communist developing countries, including Taiwan, the Philippines, India, and Mexico. By examining varied reform experiences, the book identifies patterns in policy formulation, elite motivations, and rural participation, revealing that the effectiveness of land reform hinges on political commitment and leadership. It also investigates reform's broader political consequences, such as its impact on rural voting behavior, national integration, and political stability. Through this analysis, the book offers critical insights into the role of land reform in fostering political development and its potential to address systemic inequities in agrarian societies.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.