State capacity and performance from the perception of Brazilian bureaucrats: development and validation of a structural equation model
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Abstract
The study specified and validated a model derived from theoretical approaches in the literature to measure state capacities. Survey data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that bureaucracy’s Weberian features are still a valuable reference for state capacity studies since bureaucrats’ professionalization and skills presented a positive and statistically significant effect on the state’s perceived performance. Concerning bureaucratic autonomy, the findings indicate that its effect on state performance is indirect, mediated by professionalization. Unlike theoretical predictions, we found no significant direct effects of bureaucracy relationships with non-state actors and of organizational resources for state performance. The article contributes to the literature by using data obtained directly from bureaucrats, developing and validating a replicable model that relates the different dimensions of the concept, and using SEM to estimate the effects of each of the concept’s dimensions of state capacity on the outcomes of State action.
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