STATE CAPACITIES: THE METHODOLOGICAL PROFILE OF BRAZILIAN EMPIRICAL PRODUCTION (2010-2023)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to map the brazilian production on the topic of state capacities in order to present a methodological profile of the studies conducted. The study sample consists of 74 empirical articles published in national journals between 2010 and 2023. Out of this total, 54 articles were published in academic journals indexed in the Scielo bibliographic database. The remaining studies were included in a subsequent collection, carried out from other important journals in the field of public administration and public policies that were not indexed in Scielo. To outline the methodological profile of the production, issues such as research approach, analytical direction of explanations, unit of analysis, analytical styles, theoretical dimensions of state capacities concept, and the main techniques and variables of interest were analyzed, among others. The results indicate that the majority of articles follow a quantitative approach, with the municipality as the primary unit of analysis and administrative capacity as the main dimension mobilized. Furthermore, diversity in variables and categories of interest was observed, and a greater variation in the use of quantitative analysis techniques compared to techniques employed in qualitative analyses was also noted.