Bureaucratic Effects: 'Weberian' State Structures and Poverty Reduction

Abstract

Evans and Rauch (1999) have demonstrated that there is a strong relationship between the `Weberianness' of a national state's bureaucratic capacities and its record on economic growth. Using their data set and the best available data sets on the incidence of income poverty, this article investigates whether there is a relationship between a Weberian notion of effective bureaucratic capacities and the state's ability to reduce poverty. Using the same time frame as Evans and Rauch (1970—90) and analysing data for 29 developing and middle income countries, the article concludes that, in general, there does indeed seem to be a relationship between states with effective `Weberian' public institutions and their ability to reduce poverty.

Citation

Henderson, J.; Hulme, D.; Jalilian, H.; Phillips, R. Bureaucratic Effects: `Weberian’ State Agencies and Poverty Reduction. Sociology (2007) 41 (3) 515-532. [DOI: 10.1177/0038038507076620]

Bureaucratic Effects: ‘Weberian’ State Structures and Poverty Reduction

Published 1 January 2007