Why is this collection of essays described as “Field Notes”? What does this suggest about the content?

This question asks readers to think about the genre and context of the essays compiled in this book. The term “field notes” is meant to suggest that the author is responding immediately to real-life events and is offering observation from what she sees in the world.

How does the author describe democracy? In the Introduction, what does she suggest has gone wrong with democracy?

This question asks the reader to grapple with the central thesis of Field Notes on Democracy: that “democracy,” represented in the supposedly democratic Indian state, is flawed. At the beginning of the introduction, the author defines democracy according to the Western, liberal model in practice throughout the world. The ensuing essays demonstrate how elections and the electoral process can actually be used to perpetrate violence and...