Access to education and health facilities varies considerably across the
countries and regions of South Asia. This paper surveys the theoretical and empirical
literature on collective action and public goods provision. The role of group influence,
heterogeneity within groups and group size is explored in detail. The paper then discusses
the impact of committed leaders on public goods provision, as well as the factors
involved in sustaining their impact. These factors can be applied to analyze issues related
to the quality of public goods provision as well. I conclude by briefly surveying the
growing role of the private sector in providing basic education services in South Asia.