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State capacity and political regime stability

Bibliographic Data

ID6252972
AuthorsDavid Andersen (0000-0001-7390-9635, Aarhus University), Jørgen Møller (0000-0002-9374-9082, Aarhus University), Lasse Lykke Rørbæk (0000-0001-8496-9334, Aarhus University), Svend-Erik Skaaning (0000-0002-8587-8183, Aarhus University)
Year2014
Volume21
Issue7
Pages1305-1325
Publication date2014-11-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueDemocratization (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1351-0347 • E-ISSN: 1743-890X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13510347.2014.960204
OpenAlexW2061662351
LanguageEN
Citations received41
References cited62

Two recent strands of research have proposed that state capacity facilitates autocratic and democratic survival, respectively. While convincing arguments sustain each of these expectations, prior research has neglected a crucial distinction with respect to state capacity: that between monopoly on violence and administrative effectiveness. In this article, we first formulate propositions about the relationship between each of these different aspects of state capacity and political regime stability. We then subject these propositions to empirical assessment through cross-national, statistical analysis. Our findings show that state capacity does indeed tend to enhance regime stability in both autocracies and democracies. Yet, the analyses also reveal that what primarily matters in autocracies is the monopoly on violence whereas administrative effectiveness is what stabilizes democracies. Finally, we discuss alternative interpretations of the patterns and conclude that our results go a long way toward making sense of apparent inconsistencies in the findings of previous studies

Autocracy · Democracy · Economic system · Economics · Empirical research · Law and economics · Microeconomics · Monopoly · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Positive economics · Sociology · Stability (learning theory · State (computer science · Statistics · Subject (documents · Computer Science · Law · Mathematics · Peacebuilding and International Security · Political Conflict and Governance · Politics and Conflicts in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Middle East

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Unique citing works41
Citations per year4,1
Citation span2016 - 2026 (11)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 41
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