A state’s accountability to its citizens for public service delivery constitutes a central component of the democratic polity. But how to assure this accountability? The answer lies in the linkage between citizens and some combination of elected political leaders and those they direct to provide the services. In India over recent decades, a host of mechanisms has emerged to provide that linkage, some of them quite potent. Building on the World Bank’s 2003 principal–agent model of long and short routes to state accountability, this article argues for a distinct third civil society route. It then explores the paths these three routes can take and their potential effectiveness in providing citizens a number of institutional mechanisms to hold political leaders and public service providers accountable, improve service delivery, empower poor people and ultimately enhance well-being.

中文翻译：

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印度公共服务提供的公民参与和政治责任

一个国家对其公民提供公共服务的责任构成了民主政体的核心组成部分。但如何确保这种问责制？答案在于公民之间的联系和各种政治领导人的组合以及他们直接提供服务的人。近几十年来，在印度，出现了许多机制来提供这种联系，其中一些非常有效。本文以世界银行 2003 年的国家问责长短途委托代理模型为基础，论证了一条独特的第三条公民社会路线。然后探讨这三种途径可以采取的路径及其在为公民提供一系列制度机制以追究政治领导人和公共服务提供者的责任、改善服务提供、