In everyday policing, citizens and states interact significantly. Yet even within capable governments like India's, community experiences vary widely.
This article presents original survey data (8,000 households) and semistructured interviews with 160+ slum communities and their 170+ informal neighborhood leaders—offering fresh perspectives on policing quality in India.
Our findings reveal that well-connected individuals express greater confidence in local policing. This isn't due to fewer conflicts, but rather reflects their ability to leverage social networks with police representatives.
The mixed-methods approach highlights conditions under which citizens perceive the police as neutral providers of order versus rent-seeking agents—offering crucial insights for India's governance challenges.
| Local Order, Policing, and Bribes: Evidence from India was authored by Juan Tellez, Erik Wibbels and Anirudh Krishna. It was published by Johns Hopkins in World Pol. in 2020. |
