Lack of trust in state institutions, often due to poor service provision, is a pervasive problem in many developing … countries. If this increases reliance on non-state actors for crucial services, the resulting self-reinforcing cycle can further … weaken the state. This paper examines whether such a cycle can be disrupted. We focus on dispute resolution in rural Punjab …

infer it from signals inherent in their living standards, state propaganda, and messages sent by an informed elite via … invest in making convincing state propaganda, censoring independent media, co-opting the elite, or equipping police to …