Identifying the Negative Influence of Political Culture on Development Policies in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to the negative influence of political culture on development policies that have been implemented by the successive governments in Sri Lanka since independence in 1948. Based on the descriptive analysis of this study, the impact of the political culture of Sri Lanka has badly affected the implemented development projects and it causes to make lots of issues of the expected results of the projects. Sri Lanka remains a developing nation in the Asian region even after 70 years of independence. Without a proper national development policy, the island nation has failed to come up to par with many other Commonwealth nations in a post-colonial era. Modes of thinking and policy stances of political parties in the country were influenced by their ideological allegiances. The difference and the contrast of the main political parties who have governed the country are directly and badly affected development projects. The United National Party (UNP), the right of the center of Sri Lankan politics, adopted a basically libertarian ideology, in combination with an element of social democracy. The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), the principal alternative to the UNP, was basically social-democratic in its ideological orientation but had also absorbed certain elements of socialist ideology from the radical left. But, many other Commonwealth nations have managed to pass Sri Lanka in the Development race thanks to their cemented and inclusive national development policies but as a country, Sri Lanka is yet to identify or launch a proper national development policy owing to the negative influences of its political culture in a post-colonial era