The hottest State Capacity Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

A conversation with Jen Pahlka

Can We Still Govern? • 81 implied HN points • 02 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government reform Public Policy State Capacity
  1. Abundance means creating more opportunities and resources for everyone, especially those who struggle. It's about understanding that some systems create artificial scarcity, making life harder for people in need.
  2. State and local governments can improve by focusing on their internal processes to deliver better services. Leaders should prioritize building their capacity from the ground up to meet the community's needs.
  3. The civic tech community should be bold and proactive in improving government services. Instead of just reacting to changes, they should aim to innovate and create solutions that genuinely help people.

Africa’s 2023 Year in Review

An Africanist Perspective • 1167 implied HN points • 28 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Africa Climate Economy State Capacity Foreign Investment
  1. Reforms in Nigeria's petroleum sector can have a significant impact on the regional economy.
  2. African countries face challenges in navigating the political economy of energy and climate change, impacting their energy future.
  3. Increased Gulf cash and influence in Africa poses both investment opportunities and risks for African economies.

What research tells us about politicization and state capacity

Can We Still Govern? • 181 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Civil Service State Capacity Policy Analysis
  1. Politicization in government can lead to lower performance and higher corruption. When hiring focuses on political loyalty rather than skills, it results in less competent people in key roles.
  2. State capacity, or the government's ability to perform effectively, can be weakened by politicization. This makes it harder for governments to achieve their policy goals and respond effectively to public needs.
  3. Investing in state capacity takes time and is often not rewarded by voters. People tend to support immediate relief efforts rather than long-term improvements that strengthen government functions.

An illustration of the high cost of low state (fiscal) capacity in Liberia

An Africanist Perspective • 494 implied HN points • 28 Apr 23
🌍 World Politics State Capacity International relations Fiscal policy Development Corruption
  1. The high cost of low state capacity in Liberia impacts public services and infrastructure, highlighting the need for economic growth over only focusing on governance and corruption.
  2. Poverty in Liberia severely limits the government's fiscal capacity, affecting its ability to provide public goods and services. The country's annual budget per capita is significantly lower than other regions, making it challenging to maintain essential services.
  3. The US Ambassador to Liberia pointed out significant mismanagement of funds in critical sectors like healthcare and education. This points to a need for better spending of allocated funds and an improvement in service delivery to benefit the citizens.
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