The political dimension of national capabilities: Concepts and measurement
- 1 May 1988
- journal article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in International Interactions
- Vol. 14 (2) , 133-139
- https://doi.org/10.1080/03050628808434696
Abstract
Three oft‐cited dimensions of national power are material capabilities, the political capacity to mobilize and use this potential, and its actual use (behavioral power). Effective power is a function of the latter two, the political capability both to mobilize human and material resources and to use these resources coherently in the pursuit of national objectives. Work by Gurr and others on political capabilities since c. 1800 points to four strongly intercorrelated indicators of performance: Effective decision‐making and the maintenance of civil order and legitimacy pay off in the form of institutional durability. This research suggests the need to focus greater attention on developing indicators of (1) the durability of polities, which in turn implies both persistence and adaptability, and (2) the basis of durability, namely, the coherence of the polities’ authority patterns. Annualiz‐ing scores on these variables for the period since c. 1800 are the ongoing tasks of the Polities project.Keywords
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