Measuring the Colombian "Success" Story

This article discusses the evolution of state capacity in Colombia. Drawing on the general debate regarding the conceptualization and measurement of the state, the piece tracks the record of the Colombian state in the last decade. The article posits that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the strength of the Colombian state has increased only marginally in the last 10 years. This improvement derives from important gains in two of Michael Mann's (1986) infrastructural power dimensions -territorial reach and bureaucratic capacity. Lack of substantial improvements in Mann's third infrastructural dimension- autonomy vis-à-vis non-states actors- and setbacks in the state legitimacy dimension make the gains in state capacity modest rather than robust

History · History and Politics in Latin America · International Relations in Latin America · Politics and Society in Latin America · Psychology

• From conventional insurgency to binational criminal syndicate? ELN's state capture in the Colombia-Venezuela Borderland

  J Mantilla, Andreas E Feldmann et al.•Small Wars and Insurgencies•2025

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  Open Access•Davide Grassi, Vincenzo Memoli•World Development•2016

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  Open Access•Davide Grassi, Vincenzo Memoli•Italian Political Science…•2016

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• The Organizational Consequences of Politics

  Open Access•J Polga-Hecimovich, Alejandro Trelles•Latin American Politics and Society•2016

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• Violence, Coercion, and State-Making in Twentieth-Century Mexico

  Open Access•Wil G Pansters•Violence, coercion, and…•2012

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• The Age of Insecurity

  Open Access•Diane E Davis•Latin American Research Review•2006

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• Statebuilding without Nation-building? Legitimacy, State Failure and the Limits of the Institutionalist Approach

  Nicolas Lemay-Hébert•Journal of Intervention and…•2009

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• State Power and Its Implications for Civil War Colombia

  Alex McDougall•Studies in Conflict and Terrorism•2009

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• Caudillos and the crisis of the Colombian state

  Nazih Richani•Third World Quarterly•2007

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• State in Society

  David Knoke, Joel S Migdal•Contemporary Sociology A Journal…•2003

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• The Organization of American States

  Ernest D Betancourt, O Carlos Stoetzer•International Journal Canada s…•1966

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• The Grand Failure

  John C Campbell, Zbigniew Brzezinski•Foreign Affairs•1989

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• The Farc's Best Friend

  Open Access•Mark Peceny, Michael Durnan•Latin American Politics and Society•2006

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• Colombia 2008

  Open Access•Mónica Pachón•Revista de ciencia política•2009

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• Taming the sovereigns

  Open Access•Marília Marília Valença, Marcelo Valença•Contexto Internacional•2005

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• Beyond the 'failed state

  Open Access•Charles T Call•European Journal of International…•2010

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• The Division of Labour in Society

  Open Access•George Simpson, Emile Durkheim et al.•Durkheim•1984

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• Durkheim on Politics and the State

  Stjepan G Mestrovic, Anthony Giddens et al.•British Journal of Sociology•1987

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• Armed Actors, Violence and Democracy in Latin America in the 1990s

  Open Access•Kees Koonings•Bulletin of Latin American Research•2001

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• International System and Technologies of Rebellion

  Open Access•Stathis N Kalyva, Stathis N Kalyvas et al.•American Political Science Review•2010

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• Violence, Coercion, and State-Making in Twentieth-Century Mexico

  Benjamin Smith•Hispanic American Historical Review•2013

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