POLI 130: The State, State Capacity, and State Collapse

Vocabulary flashcards covering state dimensions, capacity indicators, state typologies based on scope and capacity, and state collapse mechanisms based on POLI 130 lecture notes.

State

A "human community with a monopoly over the legitimate use of force in a given territory".

State scope

The degree of state intervention in economy and society.

State capacity

The ability of a state to actually carry out tasks.

State reach

The ability of a state to project its power across the whole territory.

Indicators of state capacity

Key indicators used to measure state capacity, including violent crime rates, tax capacity, and public goods provision.

Size versus Capacity Matrix

A framework that categorizes states by comparing state scope (limited vs. interventionist) against state capacity (high vs. low).

Liberal states

States with high capacity and a limited state scope, such as the U.S. and Chile.

Developmental state

A state with high capacity and an interventionist state scope, exemplified by Korea and Taiwan.

Scandinavian welfare state

A state model characterized by high capacity and an interventionist state scope, such as Sweden.

Weak states

States characterized by low capacity and limited state scope, typical of much of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Extreme: collapsed states

States experiencing an extreme combination of low capacity and limited scope, such as Haiti, Yemen, and Somalia.

Bloated, inefficient state

A state model characterized by low capacity and an interventionist state scope, seen in much of Latin America in the 1970s and 1980s.

"Brown areas" (Guillermo O'Donnell)

A concept referenced in state studies associated with Guillermo O'Donnell regarding territorial areas where state authority and reach are weak or effective presence is absent.

State strength benefits

The positive outcomes produced by stronger states across citizen well-being (better social outcomes), economies (protected property rights and development), and democracy (protected citizen rights and maintenance of the rule of law).

Barre dictatorship

The dictatorship in Somalia whose overthrow created a political vacuum that led to state collapse.

Al-Shabaab

A militant group that rose in Somalia alongside local warlords following the overthrow of the Barre dictatorship and the resulting political vacuum.

Warlord politics

A phenomenon linked to state collapse and shadow states in the post-Cold War era, characterized by non-state warlords taking control in power vacuums.