The paper explores the determinants of government responsiveness to citizens in the context of India, focusing on the role of democratic institutions and mass media. It develops a model where informed and politically active electorates strengthen incentives for governments to be responsive. The model is tested using panel data from Indian states between 1958 and 1992, showing that public food distribution and calamity relief expenditure are greater where governments face greater electoral accountability and where newspaper circulation is highest. The paper highlights the importance of information flows, particularly the role of mass media in creating incentives for governments to respond to citizens' needs. It also discusses the relationship between political competition, electoral turnout, and government responsiveness, finding that higher political competition and electoral turnout are associated with greater responsiveness. The study finds that newspaper circulation is strongly and positively correlated with government responsiveness, particularly for publications in languages other than Hindi or English. The paper concludes that mass media plays a key role in ensuring that vulnerable citizens receive greater policy attention by enabling them to monitor government actions and make informed voting decisions. The findings support the idea that political economy and mass media are important factors in government responsiveness.The paper explores the determinants of government responsiveness to citizens in the context of India, focusing on the role of democratic institutions and mass media. It develops a model where informed and politically active electorates strengthen incentives for governments to be responsive. The model is tested using panel data from Indian states between 1958 and 1992, showing that public food distribution and calamity relief expenditure are greater where governments face greater electoral accountability and where newspaper circulation is highest. The paper highlights the importance of information flows, particularly the role of mass media in creating incentives for governments to respond to citizens' needs. It also discusses the relationship between political competition, electoral turnout, and government responsiveness, finding that higher political competition and electoral turnout are associated with greater responsiveness. The study finds that newspaper circulation is strongly and positively correlated with government responsiveness, particularly for publications in languages other than Hindi or English. The paper concludes that mass media plays a key role in ensuring that vulnerable citizens receive greater policy attention by enabling them to monitor government actions and make informed voting decisions. The findings support the idea that political economy and mass media are important factors in government responsiveness.