India — Nehru administration (1947–1964)
India
Basis for the estimate: Five-year plans, secular constitution, non-alignment.
Official system and how it worked in practice
| Official system | Dominion within the Commonwealth (1947–1950), then a federal parliamentary republic |
|---|---|
| In practice, 1947 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1948–1950 | Closed autocracy no multiparty elections for the chief executive |
| In practice, 1951 | Electoral autocracy multiparty elections, but without sufficient freedom, fairness or protection of basic freedoms |
| In practice, 1952–1964 | Electoral democracy free and fair multiparty elections and basic freedoms |
“In practice” is V-Dem’s Regimes of the World classification for India, 1947–1964, from expert-coded data (V-Dem Regimes of the World (v2x_regime), V-Dem dataset v16, March 2026). V-Dem codes each country as it stood at the end of each year, so the first and last years can reflect the previous or next government. The official system is the constitutional form during the period.
Political placement
| Map dimension | Score (0–100) | Position | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic Collective / planned ↔ Market | 24 | toward collective / planned | |
| Social Progressive ↔ Traditional | 27 | toward progressive | |
| Authority Libertarian ↔ Authoritarian | 33 | toward libertarian | |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 55 | near the center | |
| Foreign policy Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 20 | toward non-intervention |
All nine underlying dimensions
| Dimension | Score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Economic ownership Collective ownership ↔ Private ownership | 30 | toward collective ownership |
| Civil liberties Civil liberty ↔ State restrictions | 45 | near the center |
| National identity Cosmopolitan ↔ Nationalist | 55 | near the center |
| Social and cultural values Progressive ↔ Traditionalist | 30 | toward progressive |
| Political governance Democratic ↔ Autocratic | 20 | toward democratic |
| Equality and hierarchy Egalitarian ↔ Hierarchical | 26 | toward egalitarian |
| Economic management Free market ↔ State planning | 85 | toward state planning |
| Military intervention Non-intervention ↔ Intervention | 20 | toward non-intervention |
| Religion and government Secular state ↔ Religious authority | 19 | toward secular state |
Country and government scores interpret the policies of a specific government or period; they are not an authoritative ranking of countries, and official constitutional structures can differ from how power is exercised in practice. How scores are made.
Key positions (estimated)
| Statement | Position | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Religious doctrine should take precedence over civil law when they conflict. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Opposition parties should be free to compete in elections. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| People should be free to criticize the government without fear of legal punishment. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Society works best when established social hierarchies are respected. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Military power should be used proactively when serious external threats are emerging. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Same-sex couples should have the same right to marry as opposite-sex couples. | Strongly agrees | estimated |
| Preserving a historic national majority is a legitimate immigration objective. | Disagrees | estimated |
| Markets generally distribute goods more effectively than government planners. | Strongly disagrees | estimated |
| Major industries should be publicly owned rather than privately controlled. | Agrees | estimated |
| Political speech should be legally protected even when it is offensive. | Agrees | estimated |
Closest ideologies
Deep Ecology91% similar positionDegrowth91% similar positionPost-Growth Politics88% similar positionGreen Politics87% similar positionDemocratic Confederalism86% similar position
Most similar governments
Mexico — Government (2024–present)91% similarBrazil — Lula presidency (2023–present)91% similarNorway — Government (2021–present)84% similarUnited Kingdom — Starmer government (2024–present)80% similarSpain — Democratic governments (1978–present)80% similar
Sources
- Wikipedia: Premiership of Jawaharlal Nehru (Wikipedia search)
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.