The Gradient of Governance: Distance and Disengagement in Indian Villages

National governance scores must be seen in light of large within-country variance. Not only being a rural village, but being located at a substantial distance from cities, has great importance for good governance. Analysis of household data from different parts of rural India shows how villages at greater distances to towns tend to have lower scores on multiple governance dimensions. Even after controlling for diverse influences, using both ordinary least square and multilevel regression models, this gradient of governance remains significant, imposing a dual penalty. Already penalised by markets, which have disproportionately rewarded urban and peri-urban areas, residents of villages located further from towns also experience and expect to receive worse treatment from government.