ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that representative systems are eminently suited to groups who have more resources in the initial instance which permit them to organize to attain their objectives often at the expense of those with less. It examines the relationship between policy, the political environment, and the growth of inequality in American and Indian agriculture. The basic approach to agricultural commercialization in India is similar to that developed in the United States (US). The distribution of benefits from government income support programs has contributed also to income inequality in US agriculture. Inequalities in American agriculture also appear to contribute to unrest in rural politics. As in the US, Indian agricultural policy has had a number of goals that have included promoting equality, productivity/and efficiency. The National Commission notes that the leasing of land by larger farmers occurs most in those areas where agricultural modernization has gone the farthest.
