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Most studies on distribution in developing countries are concerned with the distribution of material resources, most usually income or consumption, and sometimes wealth. On the other hand, most studies on social capital are grounded in countries of the developed world. In this article, we depart from both traditions by analysing the distribution of social capital in a developing country (India). In so doing, we establish a link with the subject matter of political economy by examining the relationship between the distribution of social capital, the distribution of confidence in public bodies and electoral participation. Results show that participation in social activities is strongly correlated to trust in public bodies, which in turn favours participation in political life through voting. However, contrary to results obtained in different contexts, individuals belonging to discriminated groups tend to have more confidence in institutions.La plupart des études sur la répartition dans les pays en développement portent sur celle des ressources matérielles, comme, le plus souvent, les revenus, la consommation et, parfois, la richesse. En revanche, les études sur la distribution du capital social s'inscrivent, pour la plupart, dans le contexte des pays développés. Cet article rompt avec cette double tradition en analysant la répartition du capital social dans un pays en développement, l'Inde. De plus, nous lions cette question avec des thèmes propres à l'économie politique en examinant la relation entre la répartition du capital social, la répartition de la confiance dans les organismes publics, et la participation électorale. Les résultats montrent que la participation aux activités sociales est fortement corrélée à la confiance dans les organismes publics, qui elle-même favorise la participation à la vie politique, au travers du vote. Toutefois, contrairement aux résultats obtenus dans des contextes différents, les membres des groupes discriminés ont tendance à avoir davantage confiance dans les institutions.

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Financial inclusion has received widespread attention from policymakers and researchers in recent years and is viewed in most macroeconomic studies as an engine of economic growth. By contrast, analyses at the micro‐level have largely focused on microcredit rather than microfinance and reached more ambiguous conclusions. In particular, the literature concurs on the modesty of the impact of such programmes on poverty, if any. In this paper, we examine the effect of access to microfinance rather than microcredit only, as other financial services, such as savings for instance, can be put to the same use as credit by loosening constraints on investment or helping poor households to withstand shocks. Using nationally representative micro‐data from Pakistan, we provide evidence that having geographical access to a microfinance institution raises the likelihood for an individual to move from a low‐earning occupation such as being a salaried employee, farm worker or even a housewife to a more profitable entrepreneurship status. The effect is stronger in poorer regions, even after accounting for the nonrandom opening of financial branches. We conclude that financial inclusion should be further regarded as an effective ally in the fight against poverty.