State Capacity in Historical Political Economy

Abstract

This chapter evaluates state capacity from a long-run historical perspective. We discuss how to define and measure state capacity. We explain how the establishment of a high-capacity state can enhance domestic peace, improve material prosperity, and promote more pluralistic norms. We describe which factors have obstructed the historical development of high-capacity states. Finally, we characterize ways in which society can harness the various public goods that a capable state can provide, while reducing its potential to act despotically.

Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nda Devlet Kapasitesi: Müsadere Örneği

“…Devlet kapasitesinin zafiyet gösterdiği durum kırılganlık, daha yetersiz bir hal ise devlet kapasitesinde başarısızlık olarak tanımlanmıştır. Devlet kapasitesi kamu düzenini, özel mülkiyet haklarını ve güvenliği tesis ettiğinden, uzun vadede ekonomik kalkınmayla da güçlü bir şekilde bağlantılıdır (Dincecco ve Wang, 2022). Konu üzerindeki tartışmalar devlet kapasitesinin dört kategoride incelenebildiğini göstermektedir.…”

Sunlight, culture and state capacity

“…A large and influential body of research has highlighted the long-lasting effects of European colonization on economic and institutional outcomes (Acemoglu et al, 2001(Acemoglu et al, , 2002Dell, 2010;Olsson, 2009), which suggests that colonial legacies may also influence state capacity (Dincecco & Wang, 2022;Kohli, 2004). This may be potentially important, as the intensity of UV-R is 108% higher in former colonies due to their geographical location.…”

“…During the last years, the concept of state capacity has received a growing attention in development economics and political economy. The interest in this topic is related to the idea that state capacity, broadly defined as the ability of a state to attain its intended policy goals (Dincecco & Wang, 2022; O'Reilly & Murphy, 2022), is an important determinant of economic development. This argument, which goes back at least to Tilly (1990), is consistent with the evidence that many less‐developed countries in sub‐Saharan Africa and Asia are characterized by a limited state capacity (Acemoglu, 2005; Herbst, 2000), while richer countries appear to have significantly stronger states (Acemoglu & Robinson, 2019; Besley & Persson, 2011).…”

Fiscal capacity in non-democratic states: the origins and expansion of the income tax

“…For these reasons, the share of revenue from income taxes is frequently used as an indicator of fiscal capacity (e.g. Dincecco and Wang 2022). Hanson and Sigman (2021) go further by interpreting the share of income taxes as an indicator not of extractive capacity but of administrative capacity.…”