Using rural household survey data from West Bengal, we find that voters respond positively to excludable government welfare benefits but not to local public good programs, while reporting having benefited from both. Consistent with these voting patterns, shocks to electoral competition induced...

Introduction : the myths floating around the giants -- Economic reform and growth : differing patterns and institutions -- Agriculture : still the most crowded sector -- Infrastructure : the dazzling difference -- High saving, low financial intermediation -- The pattern of burgeoning capitalism...

Using rural household survey data from West Bengal, we find that voters respond positively to excludable government welfare benefits but not to local public good programs, while reporting having benefited from both. Consistent with these voting patterns, shocks to electoral competition induced...