Motorway Access Bolsters Rural Government Services

In developing nations, rural poor often rely on political brokers to secure government aid. This dependency creates a system where peasants trade votes for essential services.

However, this arrangement frequently disadvantages them as brokers may divert resources for personal gain.

This study leverages a natural experiment—the construction of Pakistan's motorway—examining its impact on rural villages.

Findings reveal significantly enhanced public provision in connected versus isolated communities. Crucially,

Key Findings:

• Public services improve more sharply in connected villages
• Benefits disproportionately advantage lower socioeconomic groups

Implications:

This suggests infrastructure development can disrupt entrenched clientelism systems, potentially reducing exploitation of vulnerable populations.

*Note: While preserving all substantive details from the original abstract,

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