In this article, I critique available elite‐mass linkage theories that depict elites either as structurally determined or rational actors. Taking cues from Bourdieu's political field theory, I argue that elites' mass‐linkage strategies are a product of their point of view on politics structured by their trajectory in historically specific structures of politics. I demonstrate my argument by documenting shifts in the mass‐linkage strategies of Indira Gandhi, one of the most influential leaders of postcolonial India. The general lesson to be drawn from this study is that it is important to examine political elites' past mass‐linkage experiences in historically specific conditions of the political structure in order to explain their current choices of mass‐linkage strategies.

中文翻译：

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重新思考政治精英的大众联系策略：从英迪拉·甘地的政治习惯研究中获得的教训

在本文中，我对现有的精英-大众联系理论进行了评论，这些理论将精英描述为结构确定或理性参与者。我从布迪厄的政治领域理论中获得线索，我认为，精英的群众联系策略是他们对政治的观点的产物，这些观点是由他们在历史上特定的政治结构中的轨迹构成的。我通过记录英迪拉·甘地（Indira Gandhi）的大众联系战略的变化来证明我的观点，英迪拉·甘地是后殖民时期印度最具影响力的领导人之一。从这项研究中可以得出的一般教训是，重要的是在政治结构的历史特定条件下研究政治精英过去的群众联系经验，以解释他们目前对群众联系战略的选择。