Government Capabilities in Latin America: Why They Are So Important, What We Know about Them, and What to Do Next
Peer Reviewed
Date issued
Jan 2014
Subject
Governance;
Public Administration
JEL code
D78 - Positive Analysis of Policy Formulation and Implementation;
D73 - Bureaucracy • Administrative Processes in Public Organizations • Corruption;
D72 - Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
Category
Policy Briefs
This policy brief takes stock of the research on government capabilities undertaken at the Inter-American Development Bank, highlights the relevance of government capabilities for generating better policies and higher levels of development, summarizes what has been learned about the origins of those capabilities, suggests avenues for further exploration, and derives lessons (and caveats) for institutional reforms and for the operational work of the Bank.
