The Puzzle of Efficiency in the Management of Ethnic Diversity (A Comparison of India and Germany): Combined Theory, Indicators and Evaluation

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Law, Political Science and History, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aim: In the contemporary global political landscape, ethnic and cultural diversity represents an enduring reality that can serve as a source of cultural enrichment or pose a serious challenge to the political stability and integrity of states. By linking Horowitz's institutionalist approach, Kymlicka's liberal-multicultural approach and Wimmer's process-oriented approach, this article offers a hybrid explanatory framework to explain the conditions under which federalism succeeds or fails. Specifically, it addresses the extent to which, and the mechanisms through which, federal systems in India and Germany have effectively managed ethnic and cultural diversity.
 
Data and Method: This paper employs a comparative qualitative research design based on a Most Different Systems Design (MDSD) comparing India and Germany, supplemented by a mixed-methods empirical approach. While the primary analysis relies on qualitative historical-institutional analysis, quantitative data are used to operationalize and measure the dependent variable (the effectiveness of the federal system) and key aspects of the independent variables (the institutional form of federalism and state-nation-building capacity).
 
Findings: The findings suggest that the German integration model —supported by a strong welfare state—has been relatively successful in integrating immigrant populations. Conversely, India's accommodationist democratic federalism has also been successful in managing linguistic diversity, yet it has failed to eliminate deep inequalities in access to public services for marginalized groups.
 
Conclusion: The analysis shows that the institutional form of federalism alone is a weak predictor of system effectiveness. Instead, state-nation-building capacity—particularly the state's ability to provide public goods equitably—is the determining variable.
 
Key Message: This article shows that in the absence or weakness of the state's capacity to fairly distribute public goods, build nation-building, and build intergroup trust, the establishment of a federal system cannot lead to better management of ethnic diversity and resolution of ethnic conflicts.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Social Continuity and Change

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Available Online from 29 July 2026

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