Five Decades of State Capacity Research: Theoretical Shifts, Empirical Patterns and New Directions for Public Administration

Abstract

Kamal Singh Kunwar

This article synthesizes fifty years of scholarship on state capacity to clarify its conceptual evolution, map empirical patterns, and propose a future research agenda for public administration. Using a systematic and integrative review of peer-reviewed literature from 1975–2025 across major databases, studies were coded and analyzed temporally, thematically, and methodologically. The review identifies five waves of research, from early emphasis on autonomy and extraction to contemporary focus on sectoral performance, digital governance, and crisis management. Empirical findings show increasing methodological pluralism, a shift from macro-indices to organizational and micro-level studies, and growing attention to subnational and sector-specific capacities. Persistent tensions exist between technocratic and political interpretations of capacity. The article reconceptualizes state capacity as a multidimensional construct integrating bureaucratic performance, institutional embeddedness, and societal legitimacy. Findings inform administrative reform, public service delivery, crisis governance, and capacity-building, offering a structured framework to guide future research and practice in public administration.

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