The State of State Capacity: a review of concepts, evidence and measures
Luciana Cingolani
#2013-053
What is state capacity and how does it affect development? The concept
of state capacity acquired centrality during the late seventies and
eighties, sponsored by a rather compact set of scholarly works. It later
permeated through several disciplines and has now earned a place within
the many governance dimensions affecting economic performance. The
present article aims to provide a historical account of the evolution
and usage of the state capacity concept, along with its various
operationalizations. It examines in particular: a) the growing distance
in the usage of the concept by different disciplinary and thematic
fields; b) the process of `branching out' of the concept from restricted
to more multidimensional definitions; c) the problems with construct
validity and concept stretching, and d) the generalized lack of clarity
that exists regarding the institutional sources of state capacity.
Keywords: state capacity - statebuilding - fiscal performance -
bureaucracies - neopatrimonialism
JEL classification: D73 - D74 - H10 - H20