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The Big Stuck in State Capability for Policy Implementation

Author

Listed:
  • Matt Andrews

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

  • Lant Pritchett

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

  • Michael Woolcock

    (Center for International Development at Harvard University)

Abstract

We divide the 102 historically developing countries (HDCs) into those with ‘very weak’, ‘weak’, ‘middle’, and ‘strong’ state capability. Analyzing the levels and recent growth rates of the HDCs’ capability for policy implementation reveals how pervasively “stuck” most of them are. Only eight HDCs have attained strong capability, and since most of these are small (e.g., Singapore, UAE), less than 100 million (or 1.7%) of the roughly 5.8 billion people in HDCs currently live in high capability states. Almost half (49) of these countries have very weak or weak capability, and thus their long-run pace of acquiring capability is also very slow. Alarmingly, three quarters of these countries (36 of 49) have experienced negative growth in state capability in recent decades, while more than a third of all countries (36 of 102) have low and (in the medium run at least) deteriorating state capability. At current rates, the ‘time to high capability’ of the 49 currently weak capability states and the 36 with negative growth is obviously “forever”. But even for the 13 with positive growth, only three would reach strong capability by the end of the 21st century at their current medium run growth.

Suggested Citation

  • Matt Andrews & Lant Pritchett & Michael Woolcock, 2016. "The Big Stuck in State Capability for Policy Implementation," CID Working Papers 318, Center for International Development at Harvard University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cid:wpfacu:318
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pritchett, Lant, 2009. "Is India a Flailing State? Detours on the Four Lane Highway to Modernization," Working Paper Series rwp09-013, Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government.
    2. Andrews, Matt & Pritchett, Lant & Woolcock, Michael, 2013. "Escaping Capability Traps Through Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation (PDIA)," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 234-244.
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Keywords

    Governance; State Capability; Developing Countries;
    All these keywords.

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